UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


Robert  Ernest   Cowan 


MEMOIRS 


OF 


GENERAL  WILLIAM  T.  SHERMAN. 


BY  HIMSELF. 


IN    TWO     VOLUMES. 
VOL.  I. 


NEW  YORK: 
D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

649  AND   651   BROADWAY.     • 

1875. 


ENTERED,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by 

D.  APPLETON  &  COMPANY, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


E 

447.  j 


GENERAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN 

TO 

HIS    COMKADES    IK    ARMS, 

VOLUNTEERS  AND  EEGULAES. 


NEARLY  ten  years  have  passed  since  the  close  of  the  civil 

war  in  America,  and  yet  no  satisfactory  history  thereof  is  ac- 

°   cessible  to  the  public ;  nor  should  any  be  attempted  until  the 

'    Government  has  published,  and  placed  within  the  reach   of 

•    students,  the  abundant  materials  that  are  buried  in  the  War 

•cC 

j  Department  at  Washington.  These  are  in  process  of  compila- 
.  tion ;  but,  at  the  rate  of  progress  for  the  past  ten  years,  it  is 
;  probable  that  a  new  century  will  come  before  they  are  pub- 
"  lished  and  circulated,  with  full  indexes  to  enable  the  historian 
to  make  a  judicious  selection  of  materials. 

Wliat  is  now  offered  is  not  designed  as  a  history  of  the  war, 
or  even  as  a  complete  account  of  all  the  incidents  in  which  the 
writer  bore  a  part,  but  merely  his  recollection  of  events,  cor 
rected  by  a  reference  to  his  own  memoranda,  which  may  assist 
the  future  historian  when  he  comes  to  describe  the  whole,  and 
account  for  the  motives  and  reasons  which  influenced  some  of 
the  actors  in  the  grand  drama  of  war. 

I  trust  a  perusal  of  these  pages  will  prove  interesting  to  the 


4;  DEDICATION. 

survivors,  who  have  manifested  so  often  their  intense  love  of 
the  "  cause  "  which  moved  a  nation  to  vindicate  its  own  author 
ity;  and,  equally  so,  to  the  rising  generation,  who  therefrom 
may  learn  that  a  country  and  government  such  as  ours  are 
worth  fighting  for,  and  dying  for,  if  need  be. 

If  successful  in  this,  I  shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  departing 
from  the  usage  of  military  men,  who  seldom  attempt  to  publish 
their  own  deeds,  but  rest  content  with  simply  contributing  by 
their  acts  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  their  country. 

WILLIAM  T.  SHERMAN, 

General. 

ST.  Louis,  MISSOCEI,  January  21,  1875. 


1ST  O  TE. 

IT  was  my  purpose  to  accompany  this  work  -with  detailed 
maps,  of  which  I  have  many  that  would  be  appropriate ;  but 
the  cost  of  engraving  would  be  heavy,  and  I  am  aware  that 
there  is  in  course  of  preparation  by  the  Engineer  Department 
a  series  of  war-maps,  which  will  soon  be  issued,  and  which  are 
far  better  than  any  I  can  offer.  I  therefore  omit  all,  and  be 
lieve  that  each  reader  can  follow  the  incidents  of  the  narrative 
by  the  usual  maps  found  in  every  library. 


CONTENTS. 


VOLUME  I. 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I. — EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA — 1846-1848  ....  9 
II. — EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA  (Continued) — 1849-1850  .  61 
III. — MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,  AND  CALIFORNIA — 1850-1855  ....  84 

IV.— CALIFORNIA— 1855-1857 108 

Y. — CALIFORNIA,  NEW  YORK,  AND  KANSAS — 1857-1859    ....  134 

VL— LOUISIANA— 1859-1861 144 

VII. — MISSOURI — APRIL  AND  MAY,  1861      .        .        .        .        .     -  .        .  166 

Vin. — FROM  THE  BATTLE  OF  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH — KENTUCKY  AND  MIS 
SOURI— 1861-1862 176 

IX. — BATTLE  OF  SHILOH — MARCH  AND  APRIL,  1862 223 

X. — SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS — APRIL  TO  JULY,  1862          ....       248 
XI. — MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST — JULY,  1862,  TO  JANUARY,  1863  .        .  265 

XII.— VICKSBURG — JANUARY  TO  JULY,  1863 304 

XIII. — CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE — JULY  TO  DECEMBER,  1863         .        .  344 
XIV. — MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN — JANUARY  AND  FEBRUARY,  1864  .        .        .       387 


CONTENTS. 


VOLUME  IL 

CHAP.  PAOB 

XV. — ATLANTA  CAMPAIGN  —  NASHTILLK  AND  CHATTANOOGA  TO  KENESAW — 

MARCH,  APRIL,  AND  MAT,  1864 .        .        .        .        .        .        .6 

XVI. — ATLANTA  CAMPAIGN  —  BATTLES  ABOUT  KENESAW  MOUNTAIN  —  JUNE, 

1864 60 

XVII. — ATLANTA  CAMPAIGN — BATTLES  ABOUT  ATLANTA — JULY,  1864      .        .     65 
XVTQ. — CAPTURE  OP  ATLANTA — AUGUST  AND  SEPTEMBER,  1864  ...         96 

XEL — ATLANTA  AND  AFTER  —  PURSUIT  OF  HOOD — SEPTEMBER  AND  OCTOBER, 

1864 137 

XX. — THE  MARCH  TO  THE  SEA  —  FROM  ATLANTA  TO  SATANNAH — NOVEMBER 

AND  DECEMBER,  1864 171 

XXL — SATANNAH  AND  POCOTALIGO — DECEMBER,  1864,  AND  JANUARY,  1865  .  230 
XXIL — CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  CAROLIXAS — FEBRUARY  AND  MARCH,  1865          .       268 

XXTTT. — END  OF  THE  WAR — FROM  GOLDSBORO'  TO  RALEIGH  AND  WASHING 
TON — APRIL  AND  MAY,  1865 322 

XXTV. — CONCLUSION — MILITARY  LESSONS  OF  THE  WAR  381 


A  MILITARY  MAP,  SHOWING  THE  MARCHES   OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  FORCES 

UNDER  GENERAL  SHERMAN'S  COMMAND  At  end  of  Volume. 

(Inserted  by  the  Publishers.) 


MEMOIRS 

OF 

GENEEAL  WILLIAM  T,  SHEEMAN. 


CHAPTER   I. 

EAELT   RECOLLECTIONS   OF   CALIFOBNIA. 

1846-1848. 

IN  -the  spring  of  1846  I  was  a  first-lieutenant  of  Company 
G,  Third  Artillery,  stationed  at  Fort  Moultrie,  South  Carolina. 
The  company  was  commanded  by  Captain  Robert  Anderson; 
Henry  B.  Judd  was  the  senior  first-lieutenant,  and  I  was 
the  junior  first-lieutenant,  and  George  B.  Ayres  the  second- 
lieutenant.  Colonel  William  Gates  commanded  the  post  and 
regiment,  with  First-Lieutenant  "William  Austine  as  his  ad 
jutant.  Two  other  companies  were  at  the  post,  viz.,  Martin 
Burke's  and  E.  D.  Keyes's,  and  among  the  officers  were  T.  "W. 
Sherman,  Morris  Miller,  H.  B.  Field,  "William  Churchill,  Joseph 
Stewart,  and  Surgeon  McLaren. 

The  country  now  known  as  Texas  had  been  recently  ac 
quired,  and  war  with  Mexico  was  threatening.  One  of  our 
companies  (Bragg's),  with  George  H.  Thomas,  John  F.  Reynolds, 
and  Frank  Thomas,  had  gone  the  year  previous  and  was  at  that 
time  with  General  Taylor's  army  at  Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 

In  that  year  (1846)  I  received  the  regular  detail  for  recruit 
ing  service,  with  orders  to  report  to  the  general  superintendent 
at  Governor's  Island,  New  York;  and  accordingly  left  Fort 
Moultrie  in  the  latter  part  of  April,  and  reported  to  the  super- 


10  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.     [1846-'48. 

intendent,  Colonel  E.  B.  Mason,  First  Dragoons,  at  New  York, 
on  the  1st  day  of  May.  I  was  assigned  to  the  Pittsburg  ren 
dezvous,  whither  I  proceeded  and  relieved  Lieutenant  Scott. 
Early  in  May  I  took  up  my  quarters  at  the  St.  Charles  Hotel, 
and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  my  duties.  There  was  a 
regular  recruiting-station  already  established,  with  a  sergeant, 
corporal,  and  two  or  three  men,  with  a  citizen  physician,  Dr. 
McDowell,  to  examine'the  recruits.  The  threatening  war  with 
Mexico  made  a  demand  for  recruits,  and  I  received  authority  to 
open  another  sub-rendezvous  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  whither  I  took 
the  sergeant  and  established  him.  This  was  very  handy  to'  me, 
as  my  home  was  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  only  thirty-six  miles  off,  so 
that  I  was  thus  enabled  to  visit  my  friends  there  quite  often. 

In  the  latter  part  of  May,  when  at  Wheeling,  Virginia,  on 
my  way  back  from  Zanesville  to  Pittsburg,  I  heard  the  first 
news  of  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  which 
occurred  on  the  8th  and  9th  of  May,  and,  in  common  with  every 
body  else,  felt  intensely  excited.  That  I  should  be  on  recruiting 
service,  when  my  comrades  were  actually  fighting,  was  intolera 
ble,  and  I  hurried  on  to  my  post,  Pittsburg.  At  that  time  the 
railroad  did  not  extend  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  all  journeys 
were  made  by  stage-coaches.  In  this  instance  I  traveled  from 
Zanesville  to  Wheeling,  thence  to  Washington  (Pennsylvania), 
and  thence  to  Pittsburg  by  stage-coach.  On  reaching  Pittsburg 
I  found  many  private  letters ;  one  from  Ord,  then  a  first-lieu 
tenant  in  Company  F,  Third  Artillery,  at  Fort  McIIenry,  Balti 
more,  saying  that  his  company  had  just  received  orders  for 
California,  and  asking  me  to  apply  for  it.  Without  committing 
myself  to  that  project,  I  wrote  to  the  Adjutant-General,  R. 
Jones,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  asking  him  to  consider  me  as  an 
applicant  for  any  active  service,  and  saying  that  I  would 
willingly  forego  the  recruiting  detail,  which  I  well  knew  plenty 
of  others  would  jump  at.  Impatient  to  approach  the  scene  of 
active  operations,  without  authority  (and  I  suppose  wrongfully), 
I  left  my  corporal  in  charge  of  the  rendezvous,  and  took  all  the 
recruits  I  had  made,  about  twenty-five,  in  a  steamboat  to  Cin 
cinnati,  and  turned  them  over  to  Major  K.  C.  McCrea,  com- 


1846-'48.]     EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  H 

manding  at  Newport  Barracks.  I  then  reported  in  Cincinnati, 
to  the  superintendent  of  the  Western  recruiting  service,  Colonel 
Fanning,  an  old  officer  with  one  arm,  who  inquired  by  what 
authority  I  had  come  away  from  my  post.  I  argued  that  I  took 
it  for  granted  he  wanted  all  the  recruits  he  could  get  to  forward 
to  the  army  at  Brownsville,  Texas  ;  and  did  not  know  but  that 
he  might  want  me  to  go  along.  Instead  of  appreciating  my 
volunteer  zeal,  he  cursed  and  swore  at  me  for  leaving  my  post 
without  orders,  and  told  me  to  go  back  to  Pittsburg.  I  then 
asked  for  an  order  that  would  entitle  me  to  transportation  back, 
which  at  first  he  emphatically  refused,  but  at  la.st  he  gave  the 
order,  and  I  returned  to  Pittsburg,  all  the  way  by  stage,  stopping 
again  at  Lancaster,  where  I  attended  the  wedding  of  my  school 
mate  Mike  Effinger,  and  also  visited  my  sub-rendezvous  at 
Zanesville.  R.  S.  Ewell,  of  my  class,  arrived  to  open  a  cavalry 
rendezvous,  but,  finding  my  depot  there,  he  went  on  to  Colum 
bus,  Ohio.  Tom  Jordan  afterward  was  ordered  to  Zanesville, 
to  take  qharge  of  that  rendezvous,  under  the  general  War  De 
partment  orders  increasing  the  number  of  recruiting-stations. 
I  reached  Pittsburg  late  in  June,  and  found  the  order  relieving 
me  from  recruiting  service,  and  detailing  my  classmate  H.  B. 
Field  to  my  place.  I  was  assigned  to  Company  F,  then  under 
orders  for  California.  By  private  letters  from  Lieutenant  Ord, 
I  heard  that  the  company  had  already  started  from  Fort 
McHenry  for  Governor's  Island,  New  York  Harbor,  to  take 
passage  for  California  in  a  naval  transport.  I  worked  all  that 
night,  made  up  my  accounts  current,  and  turned  over  the  balance 
of  cash  to  the  citizen  physician,  Dr.  McDowell ;  and  also  closed 
my  clothing  and  property  returns,  leaving  blank  receipts  with  the 
same  gentleman  for  Field's  signature,  when  he  should  get  there, 
to  be  forwarded^to  the  Department  at  Washington,  and  the 
duplicates  to  me.  These  I  did  not  receive  for  more  than  a  year. 
I  remember  that  I  got  my  orders  about  8  P.  M.  one  night,  and 
took  passage'  in  the  boat  for  Brownsville,  the  next  morning 
traveled  by  stage  from  Brownsville  to  Cumberland,  Maryland, 
and  thence  by  cars  to  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York, 
in  a  great  hurry  lest  the  ship  might  sail  without  me.  I  found 


12  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.     [1846-'48. 

Company  F  at  Governor's  Island,  Captain  C.  Q.  Tompkins  in 
command,  Lieutenant  E.  O.  C.  Ord  senior  first-lieutenant,  my 
self  junior  first-lieutenant,  Lucien  Loeser  and  Charles  Minor  the 
second-lieutenants. 

The  company  had  been  filled  up  to  one  hundred  privates, 
twelve  non-commissioned  officers,  and  one  ordnance  sergeant 
(Layton),  making  one  hundred  and  thirteen  enlisted  men  and  five 
officers.  Dr.  James  L.  Ord  had  been  employed  as  acting  assist 
ant  surgeon  to  accompany  the  expedition,  and  Lieutenant  H.  W. 
Halleck,  of  the  engineers,  was  also  to  go  along.  The  United 
States  store-ship  Lexington  was  then  preparing  at  the  Navy- Yard, 
Brooklyn,  to  carry  us  around  Cape  Horn  to  California.  She 
was  receiving  on  board  the  necessary  stores  for  the  long  voyage, 
and  for  service  after  our  arrival  there.  Lieutenant-Commander 
Theodoras  Bailey  was  in  command  of  the  vessel,  Lieutenant 
"William  H.  Macomb  executive  officer,  and  Passed-Midshipmen 
Muse,  Spotts,  and  J.  "W.  A.  Nicholson,  were  the  watch-officers ; 
Wilson  purser,  and  Abernethy  surgeon.  The  latter  was  caterer 
of  the  mess,  and  we  all  made  an  advance  of  cash  for  him  to  lay 
in  the  necessary  mess-stores.  To  enable  us  to  prepare  for  so 
long  a  voyage  and  for  an  indefinite  sojourn  in  that  far-off  coun 
try,  the  "War  Department  had  authorized  us  to  draw  six  months' 
pay  in  advance,  which  sum  of  money  we  invested  in  surplus 
clothing  and  such  other  things  as  seemed  to  us  necessary.  At 
last  the  ship  was  ready,  and  was  towed  down  abreast  of  Fort 
Columbus,  where  we  were  conveyed  on  board,  and  on  the  14th 
of  July,  1846,  we  were  towed  to  sea  by  a  steam-tug,  and  cast  off. 
Colonel  R.  B.  Mason,  still  superintendent  of  the  general  recruit 
ing  service,  accompanied  us  down  the  bay  and  out  to  sea,  return 
ing  with  the  tug.  A  few  other  friends  were  of  the  party,  but  at 
last  they  left  ua,  and  we  were  alone  upon  the  sea,  and  the  sailors 
were  busy  with  the  sails  and  ropes.  The  Lexington  was  an  old 
ship,  changed  from  a  sloop-of-war  to  a  store-ship,  with  an  after- 
cabin,  a  "  ward-room,"  and  "  between-decks."  In  the  cabin  were 
Captains  Bailey  and  Tompkins,  with  whom  messed  the  purser, 
Wilson.  In  the  ward-room  were  all  the  other  officers,  two  in 
each  state-room ;  and  Minor,  being  an  extra  lieutenant,  had  to 


1846-'48.]      EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  13 

sleep  in  a  hammock  slung  in  the  ward-room.  Ord  and  I  roomed 
together;  Halleck  and  Loeser  and  the  others  were  scattered 
about.  The  men  were  arranged  in  bunks  "  between-decks,"  one 
set  along  the  sides  of  the  ship,  and  another,  double  tier,  amid 
ships.  The  crew  were  slung  in  hammocks  well  forward.  Of 
these  there  were  about  fifty.  We  at  once  subdivided  the  com 
pany  into  four  squads,  under  the  four  lieutenants  of  the  com 
pany,  and  arranged  with  the  naval  officers  that  our  men  should 
serve  on  deck  by  squads,  after  the  manner  of  their  watches ;  that 
the  sailors  should  do  all  the  work  aloft,  and  the  soldiers  on  deck. 

On  fair  days  we  drilled  our  men  at  the  manual,  and  generally 
kept  them  employed  as  much  as  possible,  giving  great  attention 
to  the  police  and  cleanliness  of  their  dress  and  bunks ;  and  so 
successful  were  we  in  this,  that,  though  the  voyage  lasted  nearly 
two  hundred  days,  every  man  was  able  to  leave  the  ship  and 
march  up  the  hill  to  the  fort  at  Monterey,  California,  carrying 
his  own  knapsack  and  equipments. 

The '  voyage  from  New  York  to  Bio  Janeiro  was  without 
accident  or  any  thing  to  vary  the  usual  monotony.  We  soon 
settled  down  to  the  humdrum  of  a  long  voyage,  reading  some, 
not  much ;  playing  games,  but  never  gambling ;  and  chiefly  en 
gaged  in  eating  our  meals  regularly.  In  crossing  the  equator 
we  had  the  usual  visit  of  Neptune  and  his  wife,  who,  with  a 
large  razor  and  a  bucket  of  soapsuds,  came  over  the  sides  and 
shaved  some  of  the*  greenhorns ;  but  naval  etiquette  exempted 
the  officers,  and  Neptune  was  not  permitted  to  come  aft  of  the 
mizzen-mast.  At  last,  after  sixty  days  of  absolute  monotony, 
the  island  of  Raza,  off  Rio  Janeiro,  was  descried,  and  we  slowly 
entered  the  harbor,  passing  a  fort  on  our  right  hand,  from  which 
came  a  hail,  in  the  Portuguese  language,  from  a  huge  speaking- 
trumpet,  and  our  officer  of  the  deck  answered  back  in  gibberish, 
according  to  a  well-understood  custom  of  the  place.  Sugar-loaf 
Mountain,  on  the  south  of  the  entrance,  is  very  remarkable  and 
well  named ;  is  almost  conical,  with  a  slight  lean.  The  man-of- 
war  anchorage  is  about  five  miles  inside  the  heads,  directly  in 
front  of  the  city  of  Rio  Janeiro.  Words  will  not  describe  the 
beauty  of  this  perfect  harbor,  nor  the  delightful  feeling  after  a 


14  EAKLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

long  voyage  of  its  fragrant  airs,  and  the  entire  contrast  between 
all  things  there  and  what  we  had  left  in  New  York. 

"We  found  the  United  States  frigate  Columbia  anchored  there, 
and  after  the  Lexington  was  properly  moored,  nearly  all  the  of 
ficers  went  on  shore  for  sight-seeing  and  enjoyment.  We  landed 
at  a  wharf  opposite  which  was  a  famous  French  restaurant,  Fa- 
roux,  and  after  ordering  supper  we  all  proceeded  to  the  Rua  da 
Ouvador,  where  most  of  the  shops  were,  especially  those  for 
making  feather  flowers,  as  much  to  see  the  pretty  girls  as  the 
flowers  which  they  so  skillfully  made  ;  thence  we  went  to  the 
theatre,  where,  besides  some  opera,  we  witnessed  the  audience 
and  saw  the  Emperor  Dom  Pedro,  and  his  Empress,  the  daughter 
of  Louis  Philippe  of  France.  After  the  theatre  we  went  back 
to  the  restaurant,  where  we  had  an  elegant  supper,  with  fruits 
of  every  variety  and  excellence,  such  as  we  had  never  seen  be 
fore,  or  even  knew  the  names  of.  Supper  being  over,  we  called 
for  the  bill,  and  it  was  rendered  in  French,  with  Brazilian  cur 
rency.  It  footed  up  some  twenty-six  thousand  reis.  The  figures 
alarmed  us,  so  we  all  put  on  the  waiters'  plate  various  coins  in 
gold,  which  he  took  to  the  counter  and  returned  the  change, 
making  the  total  about  sixteen  dollars.  The  millreis  is  about  a 
dollar,  but  being  a  paper-money  was  at  a  discount,  so  as  only  to 
be  worth  about  fifty-six  cents  in  coin. 

The  Lexington  remained  in  Rio  about  a  week,  during  which 
we  visited  the  Palace,  a  few  miles  in  the  country,  also  the  Bo 
tanic  Gardens,  a  place  of  infinite  interest,  with  its  specimens  of 
tropical  fruits,  spices,  etc.,  etc.,  and  indeed  every  place  of  note. 
The  thing  I  best  recall  is  a  visit  Halleck  and  I  made  to  the 
Corcovado,  a  high  mountain  whence  the  water  is  conveyed  for 
the  supply  of  the  city.  We  started  to  take  a  walk,  and  passed 
along  the  aqueduct,  which  approaches  the  city  by  a  series  of 
arches ;  thence  up  the  point  of  the  hill  to  a  place  known  as  the 
Madre,  or  fountain,  to  which  all  the  water  that  drips  from  the 
leaves  is  conducted  by  tile  gutters,  and  is  carried  to  the  city  by 
an  open  stone  aqueduct. 

Here  we  found  Mr.  Henry  A.  Wise,  of  Virginia,  the  United 
States  minister  to  Brazil,  and  a  Dr.  Garnett,  United  States 


1846-'48.]      EARLY  EECOLLECTIOSTS  OF  CALIFORNIA."  15 

Navy,  his  intended  son-in-law.  "We  had  a  very  interesting  con 
versation,  in  which  Mr.  Wise  enlarged  on  the  fact  that  Rio  was 
supplied  from  the  "  dews  of  heaven,"  for  it  rarely  rains  there, 
and  the  water  comes  from  the  mists  and  fogs  which  hang  around 
the  Corcovado,  drips  from  the  leaves  of  the  trees,  and  is  con 
ducted  to  the  Jfadre  fountain  by  miles  of  tile  gutters.  Halleck 
and  I  continued  our  ascent  of  the  mountain,  catching  from  points 
of  the  way  magnificent  views  of  the  scenery  round  about  Bio 
Janeiro.  We  reached  near  the  summit  what  was  called  the 
emperor's  coffee-plantation,  where  we  saw  coffee-berries  in  their 
various  stages,  and  the  scaffolds  on  which  the  berries  were  dried 
before  being  cleaned.  The  coffee-tree  reminded  me  of  the  red 
haw-tree  of  Ohio,  and  the  berries  were  somewhat  like  those  of 
the  same  tree,  two  grains  of  coffee  being  inclosed  in  one  berry. 
These  were  dried  and  cleaned  of  the  husk  by  hand  or  by  ma 
chinery.  A  short,  steep  ascent  from  this  place  carried  us  to  the 
summit,  from  which  is  beheld  one  of  the  most  picturesque  views 
on  earth.  The  Organ  Mountains  to  the  west  and  north,  the 
ocean  to  the  east,  the  city  of  Rio  with  its  red-tiled  houses  at  our 
feet,  and  the  entire  harbor  like  a  map  spread  out,  with  innumer 
able  bright  valleys,  make  up  a  landscape  that  cannot  be  described 
by  mere  words.  This  spot  is  universally  visited  by  strangers, 
and  has  often  been  described.  After  enjoying  it  immeasurably, 
we  returned  to  the  city  by  another  route,  tired  but  amply  repaid 
by  our  long  walk. 

In  due  time  all  had  been  done  that  was  requisite,  and  the 
Lexington  put  to  sea  and  resumed  her  voyage.  In  October  we 
approached  Cape  Horn,  the  first  land  descried  was  Staten  Isl 
and,  white  with  snow,  and  the  ship  seemed  to  be  aiming  for 
the  channel  to  its  west,  straits  of  Le  Maire,  but  her  course  was 
changed  and  we  passed  around  to  the  east.  In  time  we  saw 
Cape  Horn ;  an  island  rounded  like  an  oven,  after  which  it 
takes  its  name  (Ornos)  oven.  Here  we  experienced  very  rough 
weather,  buffeting  about  under  storm  stay-sails,  and  spending 
nearly  a  month  before  the  wind  favored  our  passage  and  enabled 
the  course  of  the  ship  to  be  changed  for  Yalparaiso.  One  day 
we  sailed  parallel  with  a  French  sloop-of-war,  and  it  was  sublime 


16        "EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.    [i846-'48. 

to  watch  the  two  ships  rising  and  falling  in  those  long  deep 
swells  of  the  ocean.  All  the  time  we  were  followed  by  the 
usual  large  flocks  of  Cape-pigeons  and  albatrosses  of  every  color. 
The  former  resembled  the  common  barn-pigeon  exactly,  but  are 
in  fact  gulls  of  beautiful  and  varied  colors,  mostly  dove-color. 
"We  caught  many  with  fishing-lines  baited  with  pork.  "We  also 
took  in  the  same  way  many  albatrosses.  The  white  ones  are 
very  large,  and  their  down  is  equal  to  that  of  the  swan.  At  last 
Cape  Horn  and  its  swelling  seas  were  left  behind,  and  we 
reached  Valparaiso  in  about  sixty  days  from  Rio.  "We  anchored 
in  the  open  roadstead,  and  spent  there  about  ten  days,  visiting 
all  the  usual  places  of  interest,  its  f  oretop,  main-top,  mizzen-top, 
etc.  Halleck  and  Ord  went  up  to  Santiago,  the  capital  of  Chili, 
some  sixty  miles  inland,  but  I  did  not  go.  Valparaiso  did  not 
impress  me  favorably  at  all.  Seen  from  the  sea,  it  looked  like 
a  long  string  of  houses  along  the  narrow  beach,  surmounted 
with  red  banks  of  earth,  with  little  verdure,  and  no  trees  at  all. 
Northward  the  space  widened  out  somewhat,  and  gave  room  for 
a  *plaza,  but  the  mass  of  houses  in  that  quarter  were  poor.  "We 
were  there  in  November,  corresponding  to  our  early  spring,  and 
we  enjoyed  the  large  strawberries  which  abounded.  The  Inde 
pendence  frigate,  Commodore  Shubrick,  came  in  while  we  were 
there,  having  overtaken  us,  bound  also  for  California.  "We  met 
there  also  the  sloop-of-war  Levant,  from  California,  and  from 
the  officers  heard  of  many  of  the  events  that  had  transpired 
about  the  time  the  navy,  under  Commodore  Sloat,  had  taken 
possession  of  the  country. 

All  the  necessary  supplies  being  renewed  in  Valparaiso,  the 
voyage  was  resumed.  For  nearly  forty  days  we  had  uninterrupted 
favorable  winds,  being  in  the  "  trades,"  and,  having  settled  down 
to  sailor  habits,  time  passed  without  notice.  "We  had  brought 
with  us  all  the  books  we  could  find  in  New  York  about  Califor 
nia,  and  had  read  them  over  and  over  again :  "Wilkes's  "  Explor 
ing  Expedition ; "  Dana's  "  Two  Tears  before  the  Mast ; "  and 
Forbes's  "  Account  of  the  Missions."  It  was  generally  under 
stood  we  were  bound  for  Monterey,  then  the  capital  of  Upper 
California.  "We  knew,  of  course,  that  General  Kearney  was  en 


1846-'48.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  17 

route  for  the  same  country  overland ;  that  Fremont  was  there 
with  his  exploring  party ;  that  the  navy  had  already  taken  pos 
session,  and  that  a  regiment  of  volunteers,  Stevenson's-,  was  to 
follow  us  from  New  York ;  but  nevertheless  we  were  impatient 
to  reach  our  destination.  About  the  middle  of  January  the  ship 
began  to  approach  the  California  coast,  of  which  the  captain 
was  duly  cautious,  because  the  English  and  Spanish  charts  dif 
fered  some  fifteen  miles  in  the  longitude,  and  on  all  the  charts 
a  current  of  two  miles  an  hour  was  indicated  northward  along 
the  coast.  At  last  land  was  made  one  morning,  and  here 
occurred  one  of  those  accidents  so  provoking  after  a  long  and 
tedious  voyage.  Macomb,  the  master  and  regular  navigator, 
had  made  the  correct  observations,  but  Nicholson  during  the 
night,  by  an  observation  on  the  north  star,  put  the  ship  some 
twenty  miles  farther  south  than  was  the  case  by  the  regular 
reckoning,  so  that  Captain  Bailey  gave  directions  to  alter  the 
course  of  the  ship  more  to  the  north,  and  to  follow  the  coast 
up,  and  to  keep  a  good  lookout  for  Point  Pinos  that  marks  the 
location  of  Monterey  Bay.  The  usual  north  wind  slackened,  so 
that  when  noon  allowed  Macomb  to  get  a  good  observation,  it 
was  found  that  we  were  north  of  Ano  Nuevo,  the  northern, 
headland  of  Monterey  Bay.  The  ship  was  put  about,  but  little 
by  little  arose  one  of  those  southeast  storms  so  common  on  the 
coast  in  winter,  and  we  buffeted  about  for  several  days,  cursing 
that  unfortunate  observation  on  the  north  star,  for,  on  first 
sighting  the  coast,  had  we  turned  for  Monterey,  instead  of  away 
to  the  north,  we  would  have  been  snugly  anchored  before  the 
storm.  But  the  southeaster  abated,  and  the  usual  northwest 
wind  came  out  again,  and  we  sailed  steadily  down  into  the 
roadstead  of  Monterey  Bay.  This  is  shaped  somewhat  like  a 
fish-hook,  the  barb  being  the  harbor,  the  point  being  Point 
Pinos,  the  southern  headland.  Slowly  the  land  came  out  of  the 
water,  the  high  mountains  about  Santa  Cruz,  the  low  beach  of 
the  Salinas,  and  the  strongly-marked  ridge  terminating  in  the 
sea  in  a  point  of  dark  pine-trees.  Then  the  line  of  whitewashed 
houses  of  adobe,  backed  by  the  groves  of  dark  oaks,  resembling 
old  apple-trees ;  and  then  we  saw  two  vessels  anchored  close  to 
2 


18  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-M8. 

the  town.  One  was  a  small  merchant-brig  and  another  a  large 
ship  apparently  dismasted.  At  last  we  saw  a  boat  coming  out 
to  meet  us,  and  when  it  came  alongside,  we  were  surprised  to 
find  Lieutenant  Henry  Wise,  master  of  the  Independence 
frigate,  that  we  had  left  at  Valparaiso.  "Wise  had  come  off  to 
pilot  us  to  our  anchorage.  While  giving  orders  to  the  man  at 
the  wheel,  he,  in  his  peculiar  fluent  style,  told  to  us,  gathered 
about  him,  that  the  Independence  had  sailed  from  Valparaiso  a 
week  after  us  and  had  been  in  Monterey  a  week ;  that  the  Cali- 
f ornians  had  broken  out  into  an  insurrection ;  that  the  naval 
fleet  under  Commodore  Stockton  was  all  down  the  coast  about 
San  Diego  ;  that  General  Kearney  had  reached  the  country,  but 
had  had  a  severe  battle  at  San  Pascual,  and  had  been  worsted, 
losing  several  officers  and  men,  himself  and  others  wounded ; 
that  war  was  then  going  on  at.  Los  Angeles ;  that  the  whole 
country  was  full  of  guerrillas,  and  that  recently  at  Yerba  Buena 
the  alcalde,  Lieutenant  Bartlett,  United  States  Navy,  while  out 
after  cattle,  had  been  lassoed,  etc.,  etc.  Indeed,  in  the  short 
space  of  time  that  Wise  was  piloting  our  ship  in,  he  told  us 
more  news  than  we  could  have  learned  on  shore  in  a  week,  and, 
being  unfamiliar  with  the  great  distances,  we  imagined  that  we 
should  have  to  debark  and  begin  fighting  at  once.  Swords  were 
brought  out,  guns  oiled  and  made  ready,  and  every  thing  was  in 
a  bustle  when  the  old  Lexington  dropped  her  anchor  on  January 
26,  1847,  in  Monterey  Bay,  after  a  voyage  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  days  from  New  York.  Every  thing  on  shore 
looked  bright  and  beautiful,  the  hills  covered  with  grass  and 
flowers,  the  live-oaks  so  serene  and  homelike,  and  the  low  adobe 
houses,  with  red-tiled  roofs  and  whitened  walls,  contrasted  well 
with  the  dark  pine-trees  behind,  making  a  decidedly  good  im 
pression  upon  us  who  had  come  so  far  to  spy  out  the  land. 
Nothing  could  be  more  peaceful  in  its  looks  than  Monterey  in 
January,  1847.  We  had  already  made  the  acquaintance  of  Com 
modore  Shubrick  and  the  officers  of  the  Independence  in  Val 
paraiso,  so  that  we  again  met  as  old  friends.  Immediate  prep 
arations  were  made  for  landing,  and,  as  I  was  quartermaster  and 
commissary,  I  had  plenty  to  do.  There  was  a  small  wharf  and 


1846-'48.]     EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFOKMA.  19 

an  adobe  custom-house  in  possession  of  the  navy;  also  a  bar 
rack  of  two  stories,  occupied  by  some  marines,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Maddox;  and  on  a  hill  to  the  west  of  the  town 
had  been  built  a  two-story  block-house  of  hewed  logs  occupied 
by  a  guard  of  sailors  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Baldwin, 
United  States  Navy.  ISTot  a  single  modern  wagon  or  cart  was 
to  be  had  in  Monterey,  nothing  but  the  old  Mexican  cart  with 
wooden  wheels,  drawn  by  two  or  three  pairs  of  oxen,  yoked  by 
the  horns.  A  man  named  Tom  Cole  had  two  or  more  of  these, 
and  he  came  into  immediate  requisition.  The  United  States 
consul,  and  most  prominent  man  there  at  the  time,  was  Thomas 
O.  Larkin,  who  had  a  store  and  a  pretty  good  two-story  house 
occupied  by  his  family.  It  was  soon  determined  that  our  com 
pany  was  to  land  and  encamp  on  the  hill  at  the  block-house, 
and  we  were  also  to  have  possession  of  the  warehouse,  or 
custom-house,  for  storage.  The  company  was  landed  on  the 
wharf,  and  we  all  marched  in  full  dress  with  knapsacks  and 
arms,  to  the  hill  and  relieved  the  guard  under  Lieutenant  Bald 
win.  Tents  and  camp-equipage  were  hauled  up,  and  soon  the 
camp  was  established.  I  remained  in  a  room  at  the  custom 
house,  where  I  could  superintend  the  landing  of  the  stores  and 
their  proper  distribution.  I  had  brought  out  from  New  York 
twenty  thousand  dollars  commissary  funds,  and  eight  thousand 
dollars  quartermaster  funds,  and  as  the  ship  contained  about 
six  months'  supply  of  provisions,  also  a  saw-mill,  grist-mill,  and 
almost  every  thing  needed,  we  were  soon  established  comfort 
ably.  We  found  the  people  of  Monterey  a  mixed  set  of  Ameri 
cans,  native  Mexicans,  and  Indians,  about  one  thousand  all 
told.  They  were  kind  and  pleasant,  and  seemed  to  have  noth 
ing  to  do,  except  such  as  owned  ranches  in  the  country  for  the 
rearing  of  horses  and  cattle.  Horses  could  be  bought  at  any 
price  from  four  dollars  up  to  sixteen,  but  no  horse  was  ever 
valued  above  a  doubloon  or  Mexican  ounce  (sixteen  dollars). 
Cattle  cost  eight  dollars  fifty  cents  for  the  best,  and  this  made 
beef  net  about  two  cents  a  pound,  but  at  that  time  nobody 
bought  beef  by  the  pound,  but  by  the  carcass. 

Game  of  all  kinds — elk,  deer,  wild  geese,  and  ducks — was 


20  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

abundant ;  but  coffee,  sugar,  and  small  stores,  were  rare  and 
costly. 

There  were  some  half-dozen  shops  or  stores,  but  their  shelves 
were  empty.  The  people  were  very  fond  of  riding,  dancing, 
and  of  shows  of  any  kind.  The  young  fellows  took  great  de 
light  in  showing  off  then*  horsemanship,  and  would  dash  along, 
picking  up  a  half-dollar  from  the  ground,  stop  their  horses  in 
full  career  and  turn  about  on  the  space  of  a  bullock's  hide,  and 
their  skill  with  the  lasso  was  certainly  wonderful.  At  full 
speed  they  could  cast  their  lasso  about  the  horns  of  a  bull,  or  so 
throw  it  as  to  catch  any  particular  foot.  These  fellows  would 
work  all  day  on  horseback  in  driving  cattle  or  catching  wild- 
horses  for  a  mere  nothing,  but  all  the  money  offered  would  not 
have  hired  one  of  them  to  walk  a  mile.  The  girls  were  very 
fond  of  dancing,  and  they  did  dance  gracefully  and  well.  Every 
Sunday,  regularly,  we  had  a  fiaile,  or  dance,  and  sometimes  in 
terspersed  through  the  week. 

I  remember  very  well,  soon  after  our  arrival,  that  we  were 
all  invited  to  witness  a  play  called  "  Adam  and  Eve."  Eve  was 
personated  by  a  pretty  young  girl  known  as  Dolores  Gomez,  who, 
however,  was  dressed  very  unlike  Eve,  for  she  was  covered  with 
a  petticoat  and  spangles.  Adam  was  personated  by  her  brother 

,  the  same  who  has  since  become  somewhat  famous  as 

the  person  on  whom  is  founded  the  McGarrahan  claim.  God 
Almighty  was  personated,  and  heaven's  occupants  seemed  very 
human.  Yet  the  play  was  pretty,  interesting,  and  elicited  uni 
versal  applause.  All  the  month  of  February  we  were  by  day  pre 
paring  for  our  long  stay  in  the  country,  and  at  night  making  the 
most  of  the  balls  and  parties  of  the  most  primitive  kind,  picking 
up  a  smattering  of  Spanish,  and  extending  our  acquaintance 
with  the  people  and  the  costumbres  del  pais.  I  can  well 
recall  that  Ord  and  I,  impatient  to  look  inland,  got  permission 
and  started  for  the  Mission  of  San  Juan  Bautista.  Mounted  on 
horses,  and  with  our  carbines,  we  took  the  road  by  El  Toro,  quite 
a  prominent  hill,  around  which  passes  the  road  to  the  south, 
following  the  Salinas  or  Monterey  River.  After  about  twenty 
miles  over  a  sandy  country  covered  with  oak-bushes  and  scrub, 


1846-'4S.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  21 

we  entered  quite  a  pretty  valley  in  which  there  was  a  ranch  at 
the  foot  of  the  Toro.  Resting  there  a  while  and  getting  some  in 
formation,  we  again  started  in  the  direction  of  a  mountain  to  the 
north  of  the  Salinas,  called  the  Gavillano.  It  was  quite  dark 
when  we  reached  the  Salinas  River,  which  we  attempted  to  pass 
at  several  points,  but  found  it  full  of  water,  and  the  quicksands 
were  bad.  Hearing  the  bark  of  a  dog,  we  changed  our  course 
in  that  direction,  and,  on  hailing,  were  answered  by  voices 
which  directed  us  where  to  cross.  Our  knowledge  of  the  lan 
guage  was  limited,  but  we  managed  to  understand,  and  to  flounder 
through  the  sand  and  water,  and  reached  a  small  adobe-house  on 
the  banks  of  the  Salinas,  where  we  spent  the  night.  The  house 
was  a  single  room,  without  floor  or  glass;  only  a  rude  door, 
and  window  with  bars.  ISTot  a  particle  of  food  but  meat,  yet 
the  man  and  woman  entertained  us  with  the  language  of  lords, 
put  themselves,  their  house,  and  every  thing,  at  our  "  disposi 
tion,"  and  made  little  barefoot  children  dance  for  our  entertain 
ment.  We  made  our  supper  of  beef,  and  slept  on  a  bullock's 
hide  on  the  dirt-floor.  In  the  morning  we  crossed  the  Salinas 
Plain,  about  fifteen  miles  of  level  ground,  taking  a  shot  occa 
sionally  at  wild-geese,  which  abounded  there,  and  entering  the 
well-wooded  valley  that  comes  out  from  the  foot  of  the  Gavil 
lano.  "We  had  cruised  about  all  day,  and  it  was  almost  dark 
when  we  reached  the  house  of  a  Senor  Gomez,  father  of  those 
who  at  Monterey  had  performed  the  parts  of  Adam  and  Eve. 
His  house  was  a  two-story  adobe,  and  had  a  fence  in  front.  It 
was  situated  well  up  among  the  foot-hills  of  the  Gavillano,  and 
could  not  be  seen  until  within  a  few  yards.  "We  hitched  our 
horses  to  the  fence  and  went  in  just  as  Gomez  was  about  to  sit 
down  to  a  tempting  supper  of  stewed  hare  and  tortillas.  We 
were  officers  and  cdballeros  and  could  not  be  ignored.  After 
turning  our  horses  to  grass,  at  his  invitation  we  joined  him  at 
supper.  The  allowance,  though  ample  for  one,  was  rather  short 
for  three,  and  I  thought  the  Spanish  grandiloquent  politeness 
of  Gomez,  who  was  fat  and  old,  was  not  over-cordial.  How 
ever,  down  we  sat,  and  I  was  helped  to  a  dish  of  rabbit,  with 
what  I  thought  to  be  an  abundant  sauce  of  tomato.  Taking  a 


22  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

good  mouthful,  I  felt  as  though  I  had  taken  liquid  fire ;  the 
tomato  was  chile  Colorado,  or  red  pepper,  of  the  purest  kind. 
It  nearly  killed  me,  and  I  saw  Gomez's  eyes  twinkle,  for  he  saw 
that  his  share  of  supper  was  increased.  I  contented  myself 
with  bits  of  the  meat,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  tortillas. 
Ord  was  better  case-hardened,  and  stood  it  better.  "We  staid  at 
Gomez's  that  night,  sleeping,  as  all  did,  on  the  ground,  and  the 
next  morning  we  crossed  the  hill  by  the  bridle-path  to  the  old 
Mission  of  San  Juan  Bautista.  The  Mission  was  in  a  beautiful 
valley,  very  level,  and  bounded  on  all  sides  by  hills.  The  plain 
was  covered  with  wild-grasses  and  mustard,  and  had  abundant 
water.  Cattle  and  horses  were  seen  in  all  directions,  and  it  was 
manifest  that  the  priests  who  first  occupied  the  country  were 
good  judges  of  land.  It  was  Sunday,  and  all  the  people,  about 
a  hundred,  had  come  to  church  from  the  country  round  about. 
Ord  was  somewhat  of  a  Catholic,  and  entered  the  church  with 
his  clanking  spurs  and  kneeled  down,  attracting  the  attention 
of  all,  for  he  had  on  the  uniform  of  an  American  officer.  As 
soon  as  church  was  out,  all  rushed  to  the  various  sports.  I  saw 
the  priest,  with  his  gray  robes  tucked  up,  playing  at  billiards, 
others  were  cock-fighting,  and  some  at  horse-racing.  My  horse 
had  become  lame,  and  I  resolved  to  buy  another.  As  soon  as  it  was 
known  that  I  wanted  a  horse,  several  came  for  me,  and  displayed 
their  horses  by  dashing  past  and  hauling  them  up  short.  There 
was  a  fine  black  stallion  that  attracted  my  notice,  and,  after 
trying  him  myself,  I  concluded  a  purchase.  I  left  with  the 
seller  my  own  lame  horse,  which  he  was  to  bring  to  me  at  Mon 
terey,  when  I  was  to  pay  him  ten  dollars  for  the  other.  The 
Mission  of  San  Juan  bore  the  marks  of  high  prosperity  at  a  for 
mer  period,  and  had  a  good  pear-orchard  just  under  the  plateau 
where  stood  the  church.  After  spending  the  day,  Ord  and  I 
returned  to  Monterey,  about  thirty-five  miles,  by  a  shorter  route. 
Thus  passed  the  month  of  February,  and,  though  there  were  no 
mails  or  regular  expresses,  we  heard  occasionally  from  Yerba 
Buena  and  Suttees  Fort  to  the  north,  and  from  the  army  and 
navy  about  Los  Angeles  at  the  south.  "We  also  knew  that  a 
quarrel  had  grown  up  at  Los  Angeles,  between  General  Kearney, 


1846-'48.]        EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  23 

Colonel  Fremont,  and  Commodore  Stockton,  as  to  the  right  to 
control  affairs  in  California.  Kearney  had  with  him  only  the 
fragments  of  the  two  companies  of  dragoons,  which  had  come 
across  from  New  Mexico  with  him,  and  had  been  handled  very 
roughly  by  Don  Andreas  Pico,  at  San  Pascual,  in  which  en 
gagement  Captains  Moore  and  Johnson,  and  Lieutenant  Ham 
mond,  were  killed,  and  Kearney  himself  wounded.  There  re 
mained  with  him  Colonel  Swords,  quartermaster ;  Captain  H.  S. 
Turner,  First  Dragoons;  Captains  Emory  and  "Warner,  Topo 
graphical  Engineers ;  Assistant  Surgeon  Griffin,  and  Lieutenant 
J.  "W.  Davidson.  Fremont  had  marched  down  from  the  north 
with  a  battalion  of  volunteers;  Commodore  Stockton  had 
marched  up  from  San  Diego  to  Los  Angeles,  with  General 
Kearney,  his  dragoons,  and  a  battalion  of  sailors  and  marines, 
and  was  soon  joined  there  by  Fremont,  and  they  jointly  received 
the  surrender  of  the  insurgents  under  Andreas  Pico.  "We  also 
knew  that  General  K.  B.  Mason  had  been  ordered  to  California ; 
that  Colonel  John  D.  Stevenson  was  coming  out  to  California 
with  a  regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers ;  that  Commodore 
Shubrick  had  orders  also  from  the  Navy  Department  to  control 
matters  afloat ;  that  General  Kearney,  by  virtue  of  his  rank,  had 
the  right  to  control  all  the  land-forces  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States ;  and  that  Fremont  claimed  the  same  right  by  virtue  of  a 
letter  he  had  received  from  Colonel  Benton,  then  a  Senator,  and 
a  man  of  great  influence  with  Polk's  Administration.  So  that 
among  the  younger  officers  the  query  was  very  natural, "  "Who  the 
devil  is  Governor  of  California  ? "  One  day  I  was  on  board  the 
Independence  frigate,  dining  with  the  ward-room  officers,  when 
a  war-vessel  was  reported  in  the  offing,  which  in  due  time  was 
made  out  to  be  the  Cyane,  Captain  DuPont.  After  dinner,  we 
were  all  on  deck,  to  watch  the  new  arrival,  the  ships  meanwhile 
exchanging  signals,  which  were  interpreted  that  General  Kearney 
was  on  board.  As  the  Cyane  approached,  a  boat  was  sent  to 
meet  her,  with  Commodore  Shubrick's  flag-officer,  Lieutenant 
Lewis,  to  carry  the  usual  messages,  and  to  invite  General  Kearney 
to  come  on  board  the  Independence  as  the  guest  of  Commodore 
Shubrick.  Quite  a  number  of  officers  were  on  deck,  among  them 


24:  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

Lieutenants  Wise,  Montgomery  Lewis,  William  Chapman,  and 
others,  noted  wits  and  wags  of  the  navy.  In  due  time  the  Cyane 
anchored  close  by,  and  our  boat  was  seen  returning  with  a  stran 
ger  in  the  stern-sheets,  clothed  in  army-blue.  As  the  boat  came 
nearer,  we  saw  that  it  was  General  Kearney  with  an  old  dragoon 
coat  on,  and  an  army-cap,  to  which  the  general  had  added  the 
broad  visor,  cut  from  a  full-dress  hat,  to  shade  his  face  and  eyes 
against  the  glaring  sun  of  the  Gila  region.  Chapman  ex 
claimed  :  "  Fellows,  the  problem  is  solved ;  there  is  the  grand- 
vizier  (visor)  by  G— d !  He  is  Governor  of  California." 

All  hands  received  the  general  with  great  heartiness,  and  he 
soon  passed  out  of  our  sight  into  the  commodore's  cabin.  Be 
tween  Commodore  Shubrick  and  General  Kearney  existed  from 
that  time  forward  the  greatest  harmony  and  good  feeling,  and 
no  further  trouble  existed  as  to  the  controlling  power  on  the  Pa 
cific  coast.  General  Kearney  had  dispatched  from  San  Diego 
his  quartermaster,  Colonel  Swords,  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  to 
purchase  clothing  and  stores  for  his  men,  and  had  come  up  to 
Monterey,  bringing  with  him  Turner  and  Warner,  leaving  Emory 
and  the  company  of  dragoons  below.  He  was  delighted  to  find 
a  full  strong  company  of  artillery,  subject  to  his  orders,  well 
supplied  with  clothing  and  money  in  all  respects,  and,  much  to 
the  disgust  of  our  Captain  Tompkins,  he  took  half  of  his  com 
pany  clothing  and  part  of  the  money  held  by  me  for  the  relief 
of  his  worn-out  and  almost  naked  dragoons  left  behind  at  Los 
Angeles.  In  a  few  days  he  moved  on  shore,  took  up  his  quarters 
at  Larkin's  house,  and  established  his  headquarters,  with  Captain 
Turner  as  his  adjutant-general.  One  day  Turner  and  Warner  were 
at  my  tent,  and,  seeing  a  store-box  full  of  socks,  drawers,  and  calico 
shirts,  of  which  I  had  laid  in  a  three  years'  supply,  and  of  which 
they  had  none,  made  known  to  me  their  wants,  and  I  told  them 
to  help  themselves,  which  Turner  and  Warner  did.  The  latter, 
however,  insisted  on  paying  me  the  cost,  and  from  that  date  to 
this  Turner  and  I  have  been  close  friends.  Warner,  poor  fellow, 
was  afterward  killed  by  Indians.  Things  gradually  came  into 
shape,  a  semi-monthly  courier  line  was  established  from  Terba 
Buena  to  San  Diego,  and  we  were  thus  enabled  to  keep  pace 


1846-'48.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  25 

with  events  throughout  the  country.  In  March  Stevenson's 
regiment  arrived.  Colonel  Mason  also  arrived  by  sea  from 
Callao  in  the  store-ship  Erie,  and  P.  St.  George  Cooke's  bat 
talion  of  Mormons  reached  San  Luis  Key.  A.  J.  Smith  and 
George  Stoneman  were  with  him,  and  were  assigned  to  the  com 
pany  of  dragoons  at  Los  Angeles.  All  these  troops  and  the 
navy  regarded  General  Kearney  as  the  rightful  commander, 
though  Fremont  still  remained  at  Los  Angeles,  styling  himself  as 
Governor,  issuing  orders  and  holding  his  battalion  of  California 
Volunteers  in  apparent  defiance  of  General  Kearney.  Colonel 
Mason  and  Major  Turner  were  sent  down  by  sea  with  a  pay 
master,  with  muster-rolls  and  orders  to  muster  this  battalion  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States,  to  pay  and  then  to  muster  them 
out ;  but  on  their  reaching  Los  Angeles  Fremont  would  not  con 
sent  to  it,  and  the  controversy  became  so  angry  that  a  challenge 
was  believed  to  have  passed  between  Mason  and  Fremont,  but 
the  duel  never  came  about.  Turner  rode  up  by  land  in  four  or 
five  days,  and  Fremont,  becoming  alarmed,  followed  him,  as  we 
supposed,  to  overtake  him,  but  he  did  not  succeed.  On  Fre 
mont's  arrival  at  Monterey,  he  camped  in  a  tent  about  a  mile  out 
of  town  and  called  on  General  Kearney,  and  it  was  reported  that 
the  latter  threatened  him  very  severely  and  ordered  him  back  to 
Los  Angeles  immediately,  to  disband  his  volunteers,  and  to  cease 
the  exercise  of  authority  of  any  kind  in  the  country.  Feeling  a 
natural  curiosity  to  see  Fremont,  who  was  then  quite  famous  by 
reason  of  his  recent  explorations  and  the  still  more  recent  conflicts 
with  Kearney  and  Mason,  I  rode  out  to  his  camp,  and  found  him 
in  a  conical  tent  with  one  Captain  Owens,  who  was  a  mountain 
eer,  trapper,  etc.,  but  originally  from  Zanesville,  Ohio.  I  spent 
an  hour  or  so  with  Fremont  in  his  tent,  took  some  tea  with  him, 
and  left,  without  being  much  impressed  with  him.  In  due  time 
Colonel  Swords  returned  from  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  re 
lieved  me  as  quartermaster.  Captain  William  G.  Marcy,  son  of 
the  Secretary  of 'War,  had  also  come  out  in  one  of  Stevenson's 
ships  as  an  assistant  commissary  of  subsistence,  and  was  stationed 
at  Monterey  and  relieved  me  as  commissary,  so  that  I  reverted 
to  the  condition  of  a  company-officer.  While  acting  as  a  staff- 


26  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

officer  I  had  lived  at  the  custom-house  in  Monterey,  but  when 
relieved  I  took  a  tent  in  line  with  the  other  company-officers  on 
the  hill,  where  we  had  a  mess. 

Stevenson's  regiment  reached  San  Francisco  Bay  early  in 
March,  1847.  Three  companies  were  stationed  at  the  Presidio 
under  Major  James  A.  Hardie ;  one  company  (Brackett's)  at  So 
noma  ;  three,  under  Colonel  Stevenson,  at  Monterey ;  and  three, 
under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Burton,  at  Santa  Barbara.  One  day 
I  was  down  at  the  headquarters  at  Larkin's  house,  when  General 
Kearney  remarked  to  me  that  he  was  going  down  to  Los  Angeles 
in  the  ship  Lexington,  and  wanted  me  to  go  along  as  his  aide. 
Of  course  this  was  most  agreeable  to  me.  Two  of  Stevenson's 
companies,  with  the  headquarters  and  the  colonel,  were  to  go 
also.  They  embarked,  and  early  in  May  we  sailed  for  San 
Pedro.  Before  embarking,  the  United  States  line-of-battle-ship 
Columbus  had  reached  the  coast  from  China  with  Commodore 
Biddle,  whose  rank  gave  him  the  supreme  command  of  the  navy 
on  the  coast.  He  was  busy  in  calling  in — "  lassooing  " — from 
the  land-service  the  various  naval  officers  who  under  Stockton 
had  been  doing  all  sorts  of  military  and  civil  service  on  shore. 
Knowing  that  I  was  to  go  down  the  coast  with  General  Kear 
ney,  he  sent  for  me  and  handed  me  two  unsealed  parcels  ad 
dressed  to  Lieutenant  Wilson,  United  States  Navy,  and  Major 
Gillespie,  United  States  Marines,  at  Los  Angeles.  These  were 
written  orders  pretty  much  in  these  words  :  "  On  receipt  of  this 
order  you  will  repair  at  once  on  board  the  United  States  ship 
Lexington  at  San  Pedro,  and  on  reaching  Monterey  you  will 
report  to  the  undersigned. — JAMES  BIDDLE."  Of  course,  I  ex 
ecuted  my  part  to  the  letter,  and  these  officers  were  duly  "  las- 
sooed."  We  sailed  down  the  coast  with  a  fair  wind,  and  anchored 
inside  the  kelp,  abreast  of  Johnson's  house.  Messages  were  forth 
with  dispatched  up  to  Los  Angeles,  twenty  miles  off,  and  prepa 
rations  for  horses  made  for  us  to  ride  up.  We  landed,  and,  as 
Kearney  held  to  my  arm  in  ascending  the  steep  path  up  the 
bluff,  he  remarked  to  himself,  rather  than  to  me,  that  it  was 
strange  that  Fremont  did  not  want  to  return  north  by  the  Lex 
ington  on  account  of  sea-sickness,  but  preferred  to  go  by  laud 


1846-M8.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  27 

over  five  hundred  miles.  The  younger  officers  had  been  discuss 
ing  what  the  general  would  do  with  Fremont,  who  was  supposed 
to  be  in  a  state  of  mutiny.  Some  thought  he  would  be  tried  and 
shot,  some  that  he  would  be  carried  back  in  irons  ;  and  all  agreed 
that  if  any  one  else  than  Fremont  had  put  on  such  airs,  and  had 
acted  as  he  had  done,  Kearney  would  have  shown  him  no  mercy, 
for  he  was  regarded  as  the  strictest  sort  of  a  disciplinarian.  "We 
had  a  pleasant  ride  across  the  plain  which  lies  between  the  sea 
shore  and  Los  Angeles,  which  we  reached  in  about  three  hours, 
the  infantry  following  on  foot.  We  found  Colonel  P.  St. 
George  Cooke  living  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Pryor,  and  the  com 
pany  of  dragoons,  with  A.  J.  Smith,  Davidson,  Stoneman,  and 
Dr.  Griffin,  quartered  in  an  adobe-house  close  by.  Fremont  held 
his  court  in  the  only  two-story  frame-house  in  the  place.  After 
some  time  spent  at  Fryer's  house,  General  Kearney  ordered  me  to 
call  on  Fremont  to  notify  him  of  his  arrival,  and  that  he  desired 
to  see  him.  I  walked  round  to  the  house  which  had  been  pointed 
out  to  me  as  his,  inquired  of  a  man  at  the  door  if  the  colonel 
was  in,  was  answered  "  Yes,"  and  was  conducted  to  a  large  room 
on  the  second  floor,  where  very  soon  Fremont  came  in,  and  I 
delivered  my  message.  As  I  was  on  the  point  of  leaving,  he  in 
quired  where  I  was  going  to,  and  I  answered  that  I  was  going 
back  to  Pryor's  house,  where  the  general  was,  when  he  remarked 
that  if  I  would  wait  a  moment  he  would  go  along.  Of  course 
I  waited,  and  he  soon  joined  me,  dressed  much  as  a  Calif  ornian, 
with  the  peculiar  high,  broad-brimmed  hat,  with  a  fancy  cord, 
and  we  walked  together  back  to  Pryor's,  where  I  left  him  with 
General  Kearney.  We  spent  several  days  very  pleasantly  at 
Los  Angeles,  then,  as  now,  the  chief  pueblo  of  the  south,  famous 
for  its  grapes,  fruits,  and  wines.  There  was  a  hill  close  to  the 
town,  from  which  we  had  a  perfect  view  of  the  place.  The  sur 
rounding  country  is  level,  utterly  devoid  of  trees,  except  the 
willows  and  cotton-woods  that  line  the  Los  Angeles  Creek  and 
the  aceywiag)  or  ditches,  which  lead  from  it.  The  space  of  ground 
cultivated  in  vineyards  seemed  about  five  miles  by  one,  embrac 
ing  the  town.  Every  house  had  its  inclosure  of  vineyard,  which 
resembled  a  miniature  orchard,  the  vines  being  very  old,  ranged 


28  EAKLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

in  rows,  trimmed  very  close,  with  irrigating  ditches  so  arranged 
that  a  stream  of  water  could  be  diverted  between  each  row  of 
vines.  The  Los  Angeles  and  San  Gabriel  Rivers  are  fed  by 
melting  snows  from  a  range  of  mountains  to  the  east,  and  the 
quantity  of  cultivated  land  depends  upon  the  amount  of  water. 
This  did  not  seem  to  be  very  large ;  but  the  San  Gabriel  River, 
close  by,  was  represented  to  contain  a  larger  volume  of  water, 
affording  the  means  of  greatly  enlarging  the  space  for  cultivation. 
The  climate  was  so  moderate  that  oranges,  figs,  pomegranates, 
etc.,  were  generally  to  be  found  in  every  yard  or  inclosure. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit,  General  Kearney  was  making  his 
preparations  to  return  overland  to  the  United  States,  and  he 
arranged  to  secure  a  volunteer  escort  out  of  the  battalion  of 
Mormons  that  was  then  stationed  at  San  Luis  Rey,  under  Colonel 
Cooke  and  a  Major  Hunt.  This  battalion  was  only  enlisted  for 
one  year,  and  the  time  for  their  discharge  was  approaching,  and 
it  was  generally  understood  that  the  majority  of  the  men  wanted 
to  be  discharged  so  as  to  join  the  Mormons  who  had  halted  at 
Salt  Lake,  but  a  lieutenant  and  about  forty  men  volunteered  to 
return  to  Missouri  as  the  escort  of  General  Kearney.  These 
were  mounted  on  mules  and  horses,  and  I  was  appointed  to  con 
duct  them  to  Monterey  by  land.  Leaving  the  party  at  Los 
Angeles  to  follow  by  sea  in  the  Lexington,  I  started  with  the 
Mormon  detachment  and  traveled  by  land.  We  averaged  about 
thirty  miles  a  day,  stopped  one  day  at  Santa  Barbara,  where  I 
saw  Colonel  Burton,  and  so  on  by  the  usually  traveled  road  to 
Monterey,  reaching  it  in  about  fifteen  days,  arriving  some  days 
in  advance  of  the  Lexington.  This  gave  me  the  best  kind  of  an 
opportunity  for  seeing  the  country,  which  was  very  sparsely  pop 
ulated  indeed,  except  by  a  few  families  at  the  various  Missions. 
"We  had  no  wheeled  vehicles,  but  packed  our  food  and  clothing 
on  mules  driven"  ahead,  and  we  slept  on  the  ground  in  the  open 
air,  the  rainy  season  having  passed.  Fremont  followed  me  by 
land  in  a  few  days,  and,  by  the  end  of  May,  General  Kearney 
was  all  ready  at  Monterey  to  take  his  departure,  leaving  to 
succeed  him  in  command  Colonel  R.  B.  Mason,  First  Dragoons. 
Our  Captain  (Tompkins),  too,  had  become  discontented  at  his 


1846-'48.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  29 

separation  from  his  family,  tendered  his  resignation  to  General 
Kearney,  and  availed  himself  of  a  sailing-vessel  bound  for  Callao 
to  reach  the  East.  Colonel  Mason  selected  me  as  his  adjutant- 
general  ;  and  on  the  very  last  day  of  May  General  Kearney,  with 
his  Mormon  escort,  with  Colonel  Cooke,  Colonel  Swords 
(quartermaster),  Captain  Turner,  and  a  naval  officer,  Captain 
Kadford,  took  his  departure  for  the  East  overland,  leaving  us 
in  full  possession  of  California  and  its  fate.  Fremont  also  left 
California  with  General  Kearney,  and  with  him  departed  all 
cause  of  confusion  and  disorder  in  the  country.  From  that  time 
forth  no  one  could  dispute  the  authority  of  Colonel  Mason  as  in 
command  of  all  the  United  States  forces  on  shore,  while  the 
senior  naval  officer  had  a  like  control  afloat.  This  was  Com 
modore  James  Biddle,  who  had  reached  the  station  from  China 
in  the  Columbus,  and  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Commodore 
T.  Ap  Catesby  Jones  in  the  line-of-battle-ship  Ohio.  At  that 
time  Monterey  was  our  headquarters,  and  the  naval  commander 
for  a  time  remained  there,  but  subsequently  San  Francisco  Bay 
became  the  chief  naval  rendezvous. 

Colonel  E.  B.  Mason,  First  Dragoons,  was  an  officer  of  great 
experience,  of  stem  character,  deemed  by  some  harsh  and  severe, 
but  in  all  my  intercourse  with  him  he  was  kind  and  agreeable. 
He  had  a  large  fund  of  good  sense,  and,  during  our  long  period 
of  service  together,  I  enjoyed  his  unlimited  confidence.  He 
had  been  in  his  day  a  splendid  shot  and  hunter,  and  often  enter 
tained  me  with  characteristic  anecdotes  of  Taylor,  Twiggs, 
Worth,  Harney,  Martin  Scott,  etc.,  etc ,  who  were  then  in 
Mexico,  gaining  a  national  fame.  California  had  settled  down 
to  a  condition  of  absolute  repose,  and  we  naturally  repined  at  our 
fate  in  being  so  remote  from  the  war  in  Mexico,  where  our  com 
rades  were  reaping  large  honors.  Mason  dwelt  in  a  house  not 
far  from  the  Custom-House,  with  Captain  Lanman,  United  States 
Kavy;  I  had  a  small  adobe-house  back  of  Larkin's.  Halleck 
and  Dr.  Murray  had  a  small  log-house  not  far  off.  The  company 
of  artillery  was  still  on  the  hill,  under  the  command  of  Lieu 
tenant  Orel,  engaged  in  building  a  fort  whereon  to  mount  the 
guns  we  had  brought  out  in  the  Lexington,  and  also  in  con- 


30  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

stmcting  quarters  out  of  hewn  pine-logs  for  the  men.  Lieuten 
ant  Minor,  a  very  clever  young  officer,  had  taken  violently  sick 
and  died  about  the  time  I  got  back  from  Los  Angeles,  leaving 
Lieutenants  Ord  and  Loeser  alone  with  the  company,  with  As 
sistant-Surgeon  Kobert  Murray.  Captain  William  G.  Marcy 
was  the  quartermaster  and  commissary.  Naglee's  company  of 
Stevenson's  regiment  had  been  mounted  and  was  sent  out 
against  the  Indians  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  and  Shannon's 
company  occupied  the  barracks.  Shortly  after  General  Kearney 
had  gone  East,  we  found  an  order  of  his  on  record,  removing  one 
Mr.  Nash,  the  Alcalde  of  Sonoma,  and  appointing  to  his  place 
ex-Governor  L.  "W.  Boggs.  A  letter  came  to  Colonel  and  Gov 
ernor  Mason  from  Boggs,  whom  he  had  personally  known  in 
Missouri,  complaining  that,  though  he  had  been  appointed 
alcalde,  the  then  incumbent  (Nash)  utterly  denied  Kearney's 
right  to  remove  him,  because  he  had  been  elected  by  the  peo 
ple  under  the  proclamation  of  Commodore  Sloat,  and  refused  to 
surrender  his  office  or  to  account  for  his  acts  as  alcalde.  Such 
a  proclamation  had  been  made  by  Commodore  Sloat  shortly 
after  the  first  occupation  of  California,  announcing  that  the 
people  were  free  and  enlightened  American  citizens,  entitled  to 
all  the  rights  and  privileges  as  such,  and  among  them  the  right 
to  elect  their  own  officers,  etc.  The  people  of  Sonoma  town  and 
valley,  some  forty  or  fifty  immigrants  from  the  United  States, 
and  very  few  native  Calif ornians,  had  elected  Mr.  Nash,  and,  as 
stated,  he  refused  to  recognize  the  right  of  a  mere  military 
commander  to  eject  him  and  to  appoint  another  to  his  place. 
Neither  General  Kearney  nor  Mason  had  much  respect  for  this 
kind  of  "  buncombe,"  but  assumed  the  true  doctrine  that  Cali 
fornia  was  yet  a  Mexican  province,  held  by  right  of  conquest, 
that  the  military  commander  was  held  responsible  to  the  coun 
try,  and  that  the  province  should  be  held  in  statu  qiw  until  a 
treaty  of  peace.  This  letter  of  Boggs  was  therefore  referred  to 
Captain  Brackett,  whose  company  was  stationed  at  Sonoma,  with 
orders  to  notify  Nash  that  Boggs  was  the  rightful  alcalde ;  that 
he  must  quietly  surrender  his  office,  with  the  books  and  records 
thereof,  and  that  he  must  account  for  any  moneys  received 


1S46-M8.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  31 

from  the  sale  of  town-lots,  etc.,  etc. ;  and  in  the  event  of  refusal 
he  (Captain  Brackett)  must  compel  him  by  the  use  of  force. 
In  due  time  we  got  Brackett's  answer,  saying  that  the  little 
community  of  Sonoma  was  in  a  dangerous  state  of  effervescence 
caused  by  his  orders ;  that  Nash  was  backed  by  most  of  the 
Americans  there  who  had  come  across  from  Missouri  with 
American  ideas;  that  as  he  (Brackett)  was  a  volunteer  offi 
cer,  likely  to  be  soon  discharged,  and  as  he  designed  to  settle 
there,  he  asked  in  consequence  to  be  excused  from  the  execu 
tion  of  this  (to  him)  unpleasant  duty.  Such  a  request,  com 
ing  to  an  old  soldier  like  Colonel  Mason,  aroused  his  wrath, 
and  he  would  have  proceeded  rough-shod  against  Brackett,  who, 
by-the-way,  was  a  "West  Point  graduate,  and  ought  to  have 
known  better ;  but  I  suggested  to  the  colonel  that,  the  case  being 
a  test  one,  he  had  better  send  me  up  to  Sonoma,  and  I  would 
settle  it  quick  enough.  He  then  gave  me  an  order  to  go  to 
Sonoma  to  carry  out  the  instructions  already  given  to  Brackett. 
I  fook  one  soldier  with  me,  Private  Barnes,  with  four 
horses,  two  of  which  we  rode,  and  the  other  two  we  drove 
ahead.  The  first  day  we  reached  Gilroy's  and  camped  by  a 
stream  near  three  or  four  adobe-huts  known  as  Gilroy's  ranch. 
The  next  day  we  passed  Murphy's,  San  Jose,  and  Santa 
Clara  Mission,  camping  some  four  miles  beyond,  where  a, kind 
of  hole  had  been  dug  in  the  ground  for  water.  The  whole  of 
this  distance,  now  so  beautifully  improved  and  settled,  was 
then  scarcely  occupied,  except  by  poor  ranches  producing 
horses  and  cattle.  The  pueblo  of  San  Jose  was  a  string  of  low 
adobe-houses  festooned  with  red  peppers  and  garlic;  and  the 
Mission  of  Santa  Clara  was  a  dilapidated  concern,  with  its 
church  and  orchard.  The  long  line  of  poplar-trees  lining  the 
road  from  San  Jose  to  Santa  Clara  bespoke  a  former  period 
when  the  priests  had  ruled  the  land.  Just  about  dark  I  was 
lying  on  the  ground  near  the  well,  and  my  soldier  Barnes  had 
watered  our  horses  and  picketed  them  to  grass,  when  we  heard 
a  horse  crushing  his  way  through  the  high  mustard-bushes 
which  filled  the  plain,  and  soon  a  man  came  to  us  to  inquire  if 
we  had  seen  a  saddle-horse  pass  up  the  road.  We  explained  to 


32  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-M8. 

him  what  we  had  heard,  and  he  went  off  in  pursuit  of  his 
horse.  Before  dark  he  came  back  unsuccessful,  and  gave  his 
name  as  Bidwell,  the  same  gentleman  who  has  since  been  a 
member  of  Congress,  who  is  married  to  Miss  Kennedy,  of 
Washington  City,  and  now  lives  in  princely  style  at  Chico, 
California. 

He  explained  that  he  was  a  surveyor,  and  had  been  in  the 
lower  country  engaged  in  surveying  land ;  that  the  horse  had 
escaped  him  with  his  saddle-bags  containing  all  his  notes  and 
papers,  and  some  six  hundred  dollars  in  money,  all  the  money 
he  had  earned.  He  spent  the  night  with  us  on  the  ground, 
and  the  next  morning  we  left  htm  there  to  continue  the  search 
for  his  horse,  and  I  afterward  "heard  that  he  had  found  his 
saddle-bags  all  right,  but  never  recovered  the  horse.  The  next 
day  toward  night  we  approached  the  Mission  of  San  Francisco, 
and  the  village  of  Yerba  Buena,  tired  and  weary — the  wind  as 
usual  blowing  a  perfect  hurricane,  and  a  more  desolate  region 
it  was  impossible  to  conceive  of.  Leaving  Barnes  to  work  his 
way  into  the  town  as  best  he  could  with  the  tired  animals,  I 
took  the  freshest  horse  and  rode  forward.  I  fell  in  with  Lieu 
tenant  Fabius  Stanley,  United  States  Navy,  and  we  rode  into 
Yerba  Buena  together  about  an  hour  before  sundown,  there  be 
ing  nothing  but  a  path  from  the  Mission  into  the  town,  deep 
and  heavy  with  drift-sand.  My  horse  could  hardly  drag  one 
foot  after  the  other  when  we  reached  the  old  Hudson  Bay 
Company's  house,  which  was  then  the  store  of  Howard  and 
Mellus.  There  I  learned  where  Captain  Folsom,  the  quarter 
master,  was  to  be  found.  He  was  staying  with  a  family  of  the 
name  of  Grimes,  who  had  a  small  house  back  of  Howard's  store, 
which  must  have  been  near  where  Sacramento  Street  now 
crosses  Kearney.  Folsom  was  a  classmate  of  mine,  had  come 
out  with  Stevenson's  regiment  as  quartermaster,  and  was  at  the 
time  the  chief-quartermaster  of  the  department.  His  office  was 
in  the  old  custom-house  standing  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
Plaza.  He  had  hired  two  warehouses,  the  only  ones  there  at 
the  time,  of  one  Liedsdorff,  the  principal  man  of  Yerba  Buena, 
who  also  owned  the  only  public-house,  or  tavern,  called  the 


1846-'48.]   EAELY  KECOLLECTIOXS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      33 

City  Hotel,  on  Kearney  Street,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
Plaza.  I  stopped  with  Folsom  at  Mrs.  Grimes's,  and  he  sent  my 
horse,  as  also  the  other  three  when  Barnes  had  got  in  after 
dark,  to  &  corral  where  he  had  a  little  barley,  but  no  hay.  At 
that  time  nobody  fed  a  horse,  but  he  was  usually  turned  out  to 
pick  such  scanty  grass  as  he  could  find  on  the  side-hills.  The 
few  government  horses  used  in  town  were  usually  sent  out  to 
the  Presidio,  where  the  grass  was  somewhat  better.  At  that 
time  (July,  1817),  what  is  now  called  San  Francisco  was  called 
Yerba  Buena.  A  naval  officer,  Lieutenant  Washington  A. 
Bartlett,  its  first  alcalde,  had  caused  it  to  be  surveyed  and  laid 
out  into  blocks  and  lots,  which  were  being  sold  at  sixteen  dol 
lars  a  lot  of  fifty  varas  square ;  the  understanding  being  that 
no  single  person  could  purchase  of  the  alcalde  more  than  one 
in-lot  of  fifty  varas,  and  one  out-lot  of  a  hundred  varas.  Fol 
som,  however,  had  got  his  clerks,  orderlies,  etc.,  to  buy  lots, 
and  they,  for  a  small  consideration,  conveyed  them  to  him,  so 
that  he  was  nominally  the  owner  of  a  good  many  lots.  Lieu 
tenant  Hal  leek  had  bought  one  of  each  kind,  and  so  had  "War 
ner.  Many  naval  officers  had  also*  invested,  and  Captain  Folsom 
advised  me  to  buy  some,  but  I  felt  actually  insulted  that  he 
should  think  me  such  a  fool  as  to  pay  money  for  property  in 
such  a  horrid  place  as  Yerba  Buena,  especially  ridiculing  his 
quarter  of  the  city,  then  called  Happy  Yalley.  At  that  day 
Montgomery  Street  was,  as  now,  the  business  street,  extending 
from  Jackson  to  Sacramento,  the  water  of  the  bay  leaving 
barely  room  for  a  few  houses  on  its  east  side,  and  the  public 
warehouses  were  on  a  sandy  beach  about  where  the  Bank  of 
California  now  stands,  viz.,  near  the  intersection  of  Sansome 
and  California  Streets.  Along  Montgomery  Street  were  the 
stores  of  Howard  &  Mellus,  Frank  "Ward,  Sherman  &  Euckel, 
Ross  &  Co.,  and  it  may  be  one  or  two  others.  Around  the 
Plaza  were  a  few  houses,  among  them  the  City  Hotel  and  the 
Custom-House,  single-story  adobes  with  tiled  roofs,  and  they 
were  by  far  the  most  substantial  and  best  houses  in  the  place. 
The  population  was  estimated  at  about  four  hundred,  of  whom 
Kanakas  (natives  of  the  Sandwich  Islands)  formed  the  bulk. 
3 


34:  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.     [1846-'48. 

At  the  foot  of  Clay  Street  was  a  small  wharf  which  small  boats 
could  reach  at  high  tide;  but  the  principal  landing-place  was 
where  some  stones  had  fallen  into  the  water,  about  where 
Broadway  now  intersects  Battery  Street.  On  the  steep  bluff 
above  had  been  excavated,  by  the  navy,  during  the  year  before, 
a  bench,  wherein  were  mounted  a  couple  of  navy-guns,  styled 
the  "battery)  which,  I  suppose,  gave  name  to  the  street.  I  ex 
plained  to  Folsom  the  object  of  my  visit,  and  learned  from  him 
that  he  had  no  boat  in  which  to  send  me  to  Sonoma,  and  that 
the  only  chance  to  get  there  was  to  borrow  a  boat  from  the 
navy.  The  line-of-battle-ship  Columbus  was  then  lying  at 
anchor  off  the  town,  and  he  said  if  I  would  get  up  early  the 
next  morning  I  could  go  off  to  her  in  one  of  the  raa/^tf-boats. 

Accordingly,  I  was  up  bright  and  early,  down  at  the  wharf, 
found  a  boat,  and  went  off  to  the  Columbus  to  see  Commodore 
Biddle.  On  reaching  the  ship  and  stating  to  the  officer  of  the 
deck  my  business,  I  was  shown  into  the  commodore's  cabin,  and 
soon  made  known  to  him  my  object.  Biddle  was  a  small-sized 
man,  but  vivacious  in  the  extreme.  He  had  a  perfect  contempt 
for  all  humbug,  and  at  once  'entered  into  the  business  with  ex 
treme  alacrity.  I  was  somewhat  amused  at  the  importance  he 
attached  to  the  step.  He  had  a  chaplain,  and  a  private  secre 
tary,  in  a  small  room  latticed  off  from  his  cabin,  and  he  first 
called  on  them  to  go  out,  and,  when  we  were  alone,  he  en 
larged  on  the  folly  of  Sloat's  proclamation,  giving  the  people 
the  right  to  elect  their  own  officers,  and  commended  Kear 
ney  and  Mason  for  nipping  that  idea  in  the  bud,  and  keep 
ing  the  power  in  their  own  hands.  He  then  sent  for  the  first 
lieutenant  (Drayton),  and  inquired  if  there  were  among  the 
officers  on  board  any  who  had  ever  been  in  the  Upper  Bay,  and 
learning  that  there  was  a  midshipman  (Whittaker)  he  was  sent 
for.  It  so  happened  that  this  midshipman  had  been  on  a  frolic 
on  shore  a  few  nights  before,  and  was  accordingly  much  fright 
ened  when  summoned  into  'the  commodore's  presence,  but  as 
soon  as  he  was  questioned  as  to  his  knowledge  of  the  bay,  he  was 
sensibly  relieved,  and  professed  to  know  every  thing  about  it. , 

Accordingly,  the  long-boat  was  ordered  with  this  midship- 


1846-'48.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  35 

man  and  eight  sailors,  prepared  with  water  and  provisions  for 
several  days'  absence.  Biddle  then  asked  me  if  I  knew  any  of 
his  own  officers,  and  which  one  of  them  I  would  prefer  to  ac 
company  me.  I  knew  most  of  them,  and  we  settled  down  on 
Louis  McLane.  He  was  sent  for,  and  it  was  settled  that  McLane 
and  I  were  to  conduct  this  important  mission,  and  the  commo 
dore  enjoined  on  us  complete  secrecy,  so  as  to  insure  success, 
and  he  especially  cautioned  us  against  being  pumped  by  his 
ward-room  officers,  Chapman,  Lewis,  "Wise,  etc.,  while  on  board 
his  ship.  "With  this  injunction  I  was  dismissed  to  the  ward 
room,  where  I  found  Chapman,  Lewis,  and  "Wise,  dreadfully  ex 
ercised  at  our  profound  secrecy.  The  fact  that  McLane  and  I 
had  been  closeted  with  the  commodore  for  an  hour,  that  orders 
for  the  boat  and  stores  had  been  made,  that  the  chaplain  and 
clerk  had  been  sent  out  of  the  cabin,  etc.,  etc.,  all  excited  their 
curiosity ;  but  McLane  and  I  kept  our  secret  well.  The  general 
impression  was,  that  we  had  some  knowledge  about  the  fate  of 
Captain  Montgomery's  two  sons  and  the  crew  that  had  been  lost 
the  year  before.  In  1846  Captain  Montgomery  commanded  at 
Yerba  Buena,  on  board  the  St.  Mary  sloop-of-war,  and  he  had 
a  detachment  of  men  stationed  up  at  Sonoma.  Occasionally  a 
boat  was  sent  up  with  provisions  or  intelligence  to  them.  Mont 
gomery  had  two  sons  on  board  his  ship,  one  a  midshipman,  the 
other  his  secretary.  Having  occasion  to  send  some  money  up 
to  Sonoma,  he  sent  his  two  sons  with  a  good  boat  and  crew. 
The  boat  started  with  a  strong  breeze  and  a  very  large  sail,  was 
watched  from  the  deck  until  she  was  out  of  sight,  and  has  never 
been  heard  of  since.  There  was,  of  course,  much  speculation 
as  to  their  fate,  some  contending  that  the  boat  must  have  been 
capsized  in  San  Pablo  Bay,  and  that  all  were  lost ;  others  con 
tending  that  the  crew  had  murdered  the  officers  for  the  money, 
and  then  escaped ;  but,  so  far  as  I  know,  not  a  man  of  that  crew 
has  ever  been  seen  or  heard  of  since.  "When  at  last  the  boat 
was  ready  for  us,  we  started,  leaving  all  hands,  save  the  commo 
dore,  impressed  with  the  belief  that  we  were  going  on  some  er 
rand  connected  with  the  loss  of  the  missing  boat  and  crew  of 
the  St.  Mary.  "We  sailed  directly  north,  up  the  bay  and  across 


36  EAELT  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

San  Pablo,  readied  the  mouth  of  Sonoma  Creek  about  dark,  and 
during  the  night  worked  up  the  creek  some  twelve  miles  by 
means  of  the  tide,  to  a  landing  called  the  Emlarcadero.  To 
maintain  the  secrecy  which  the  commodore  had  enjoined  on  us, 
McLane  and  I  agreed  to  keep  up  the  delusion  by  pretending  to 
be  on  a  marketing  expedition  to  pick  up  chickens,  pigs,  etc.,  for 
the  mess  of  the  Columbus,  soon  to  depart  for  home. 

Leaving  the  midshipman  and  four  sailors  to  guard  the  boat, 
we  started  on  foot  with  the  other  four  for  Sonoma  Town,  which 
we  soon  reached.  It  was  a  simple  open  square,  around  which 
were  some  adobe-houses,  that  of  General  Yallejo  occupying  one 
side.  On  another  was  an  unfinished  two-story  adobe  building, 
occupied  as  a  barrack  by  Brackett's  company.  We  soon  found 
Captain  Brackett,  and  I  told  him  that  I  intended  to  take  Nash  a 
prisoner  and  convey  him  back  to  Monterey  to  answer  for  his 
mutinous  behavior.  I  got  an  old  sergeant  of  his  company,  whom 
I  had  known  in  the  Third  Artillery,  quietly  to  ascertain  the 
whereabouts  of  Nash,  who  was  a  bachelor,  stopping  with  the 
family  of  a  lawyer  named  Green.  The  sergeant  soon  returned, 
saying  that  Nash  had  gone  over  to  Napa,  but  would  be  back 
that  evening ;  so  McLane  and  I  went  up  to  a  farm  of  some  pre 
tensions,  occupied  by  one  Andreas  Hoepner,  with  a  pretty  Sitka 
wife,  who  lived  a  couple  of  miles  above  Sonoma,  and  we  bought 
of  him  some  chickens,  pigs,  etc.  "We  then  visited  Governor 
Boggs's  family  and  that  of  General  Yallejo,  who  was  then,  as 
now,  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  natives  of  Cali 
fornia.  About  dark  I  learned  that  Nash  had  come  back,  and 
then,  giving  Brackett  orders  to  have  a  cart  ready  at  the  corner 
of  the  plaza,  McLane  and  I  went  to  the  house  of  Green.  Post 
ing  an  armed  sailor  on  each  side  of  the  house,  we  knocked  at  the 
door  and  walked  in.  We  found  Green,  Nash,  and  two  women, 
at  supper.  I  inquired  if  Nash  were  in,  and  was  first  answered 
"  No,"  but  one  of  the  women  soon  pointed  to  him,  and  he  rose. 
We  were  armed  with  pistols,  and  the  family  was  evidently 
alarmed.  I  walked  up  to  him  and  took  his  arm,  and  told  him 
to  come  along  with  me.  He  asked  me,  "  Where  ? "  and  I  said, 
"  Monterey."  "  Why  2 "  I  would  explain  that  more  at  leisure. 


1846-'48.]     EAELY  EECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFOKNIA.  37 

Green  put  himself  between  me  and  the  door,  and  demanded,  in 
theatrical  style,  why  I  dared  arrest  a  peaceable  citizen  in  his 
house.  I  simply  pointed  to  my  pistol,  and  told  him  to  get  out 
of  the  way,  which  he  did.  Nash  asked  to  get  some  clothing,  but 
I  told  him  he  should  want  for  nothing.  We  passed  out,  Green 
following  us  with  loud  words,  which  brought  the  four  sailors  to 
the  front-door,  when  I  told  him  to  hush  up  or  I  would  take  him 
prisoner  also.  About  that  time  one  of  the  sailors,  handling  his 
pistol  carelessly,  discharged  it,  and  Green  disappeared  very  sud 
denly.  "We  took  Nash  to  the  cart,  put  him  in,  and  proceeded 
back  to  our  boat.  The  next  morning  we  were  gone. 

Nash  being  out  of  the  way,  Boggs  entered  on  his  office,  and 
the  right  to  appoint  or  remove  from  civil  office  was  never  again 
questioned  in  California  during  the  military  regime.  Nash  was 
an  old  man,  and  was  very  much  alarmed  for  his  personal  safety. 
He  had  come  across  the  Plains,  and  had  never  yet  seen  the  sea. 
While  on  our  way  down  the  bay,  I  explained  fully  to  him  the 
state  of  things  in  California,  and  he  admitted  he  had  never  looked 
on  it  in  that  light  before,  and  professed  a  willingness  to  surrender 
his  office ;  but,  having  gone  so  far,  I  thought  it  best  to  take  him 
to  Monterey.  On  our  way  down  the  bay  the  wind  was  so  strong, 
as  we  approached  the  Columbus,  that  we  had  to  take  refuge  be 
hind  Yerba  Buena  Island,  then  called  Goat  Island,  where  we 
landed,  and  I  killed  a  gray  seal.  The  next  morning,  the  wind 
being  comparatively  light,  we  got  out  and  worked  our  way 
up  to  the  Columbus,  where  I  left  my  prisoner  on  board,  and 
went  on  shore  to  find  Commodore  Biddle,  who  had  gone  to 
dine  with  Frank  "Ward.  I  found  him  there,  and  committed 
Nash  to  his  charge,  with  the  request  that  he  would  send  him 
down  to  Monterey,  which  he  did  in  the  sloop-of-war  Dale,  Cap 
tain  Selfridge  commanding.  I  then  returned  to  Monterey  by 
land,  and,  when  the  Dale  arrived,  Colonel  Mason  and  I  went  on 
board,  found  poor  old  Mr.  Nash  half  dead  with  sea-sickness  and 
fear,  lest  Colonel  Mason  would  treat  him  with  extreme  military 
rigor.  But,  on  the  contrary,  the  colonel  spoke  to  him  kindly, 
released  him  as  a  prisoner  on  his  promise  to  go  back  to  Sono 
ma,  surrender  his  office  to  Boggs,  and  account  to  him  for  his 


38  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

acts  while  in  office.  He  afterward  came  on  shore,  was  provided 
with  clothing  and  a  horse,  returned  to  Sonoma,  and  I  never  have 
seen  him  since. 

Matters  and  things  settled  down  in  Upper  California,  and 
all  moved  along  with  peace  and  harmony.  The  war  still  con 
tinued  in  Mexico,  and  the  navy  authorities  resolved  to  employ 
their  time  with  the  capture  of  Mazatlan  and  Guaymas.  Lower 
California  had  already  been  occupied. "by  two  companies  of  Ste 
venson's  regiment,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Burton,  who  had 
taken  post  at  La  Paz,  and  a  small  party  of  sailors  was  on  shore 
at  San  Josef,  near  Cape  San  Lucas,  detached  from  the  Lexington, 
Lieutenant-Commander  Bailey.  The  orders  for  this  occupation 
were  made  by  General  Kearney  before  he  left,  in  pursuance 
of  instructions  from  the  "War  Department,  merely  to  subserve  a 
political  end,  for  there  were  few  or  no  people  in  Lower  Califor 
nia,  which  is  a  miserable,  wretched,  dried-up  peninsula.  I 
remember  the  proclamation  made  by  Burton  and  Captain  Bai 
ley,  in  taking  possession,  which  was  in  the  usual. florid  style. 
Bailey  signed  his  name  as  the  senior  naval  officer  at  the  station, 
but,  as  it  was  necessary  to  put  it  into  Spanish  to  reach  the  in 
habitants  of  the  newly-acquired  country,  it  was  interpreted, 
"  El  mas  antiguo  de  todos  los  oficiales  de  la  marina,"  etc.,  which, 
literally,  is  "  the  most  ancient  of  all  the  naval  officers,"  etc.,  a 
translation  at  which  we  made  some  fun. 

The  expedition  to  Mazatlan  was,  however,  for  a  different 
purpose,  viz.,  to  get  possession  of  the  ports  of  Mazatlan  and 
Guaymas,  as  a  part  of  the  war  against  Mexico,  and  not  for  per 
manent  conquest. 

Commodore  Shubrick  commanded  this  expedition,  and  took 
Halleck  along  as  his  engineer-officer.  They  captured  Mazatlan 
and  Guaymas,  and  then  called  on  Colonel  Mason  to  send  soldiers 
down  to  hold  possession,  but  he  had  none  to  spare,  and  it  was 
found  impossible  to  raise  other  volunteers  either  in  California  or 
Oregon,  and  the  navy  held  these  places  by  detachments  of  sail 
ors  and  marines  till  the  end  of  the  war.  Burton  also  called  for 
reinforcements,  and  Naglee's  company  was  sent  to  him  from 
Monterey,  and  these  three  companies  occupied  Lower  Calif  ornia 


184G-'48.]      EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  39 

at  the  end  of  the  Mexican  War.  Major  Hardie  still  commanded 
at  San  Francisco  and  above ;  Company  F,  Third  Artillery,  and 
Shannon's  company  of  volunteers,  were  at  Monterey ;  Lippett's 
company  at  Santa  Barbara;  Colonel  Stevenson,  with  one  com 
pany  of  his  regiment,  and  the  company  of  the  First  Dragoons, 
was  at  Los  Angeles ;  and  a  company  of  Mormons,  reenlisted 
out  of  the  Mormon  Battalion,  garrisoned  San  Diego — and  thus 
matters  went  along  throughout  1847  into  1848.  I  had  occasion 
to  make  several  trips  to  Yerba  Buena  and  back,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1848  Colonel  Mason  and  I  went  down  to  Santa  Bar 
bara  in  the  sloop-of-war  Dale. 

I  spent  much  time  in  hunting  deer  and  bear  in  the  mountains 
back  of  the  Carmel  Mission,  and  ducks  and  geese  in  the  plains 
of  the  Salinas.  As  soon  as  the  fall  rains  set  in,  the  young  oats 
would  sprout  up,  and  myriads  of  ducks,  brant,  and  geese,  made 
their  appearance.  In  a  single  day,  or  rather  in  the  evening  of 
one  day  and  the  morning  of  the  next,  I  could  load  a  pack-mule 
with  geese  and  ducks.  They  had  grown  somewhat  wild  from 
the  increased  number  of  hunters,  yet,  by  marking  well  the  place 
where  a  flock  lighted,  I  could,  by  taking  advantage  of  gullies 
or  the  shape  of  the  ground,  creep  up  within  range ;  and,  giving 
one  barrel  on  the  ground,  and  the  other  as  they  rose,  I  have 
secured  as  many  as  nine  at  one  discharge.  Colonel  Mason 
on  one  occasion  killed  eleven  geese  by  one  discharge  of  small 
shot.  The  seasons  in  California  are  well  marked.  About 
October  and  November  the  rains  begin,  and  the  whole  country, 
plains  and  mountains,  becomes  covered  with  a  bright-green  grass, 
with  endless  flowers.  The  intervals  between  the  rains  give  the 
finest  weather  possible.  These  rains  are  less  frequent  in  March, 
and  cease  altogether  in  April  and  May,  when  gradually  the  grass 
dies  and  the  whole  aspect  of  things  changes,  first  to  yellow,  then 
to  brown,  and  by  midsummer  all  is  burnt  up  and  dry  as  an  ash- 
heap. 

When  General  Kearney  first  departed  we  took  his  office  at 
Larkin's  j  but  shortly  afterward  we  had  a  broad  stairway  con 
structed  to  lead  from  the  outside  to  the  upper  front  porch  of 
the  barracks.  By  cutting  a  large  door  through  the  adobe-wall, 


40  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

we  made  the  upper  room  in  the  centre  our  office ;  and  another 
side-room,  connected  with  it  by  a  door,  was  Colonel  Mason's 
private  office. 

I  had  a  single  clerk,  a  soldier  named  Baden ;  and  "William 
E.  P.  Hartnell,  citizen,  also  had  a  table  in  the  same  room.  He 
was  the  government  interpreter,  and  had  charge  of  the  civil 
archives.  After  Halleck's  return  from  Mazatlan,  he  was,  by 
Colonel  Mason,  made  Secretary  of  State ;  and  he  then  had 
charge  of  the  civil  archives,  including  the  land-titles,  of  which 
Fremont  first  had  possession,  but  which  had  reverted  to  us  when 
he  left  the  country. 

I  remember  one  day,  in  the  spring  of  1848,  that  two  men, 
Americans,  came  into  the  office  and  inquired  for  the  Governor. 
I  asked  their  business,  and  one  answered  that  they  had  just  come 
down  from  Captain  Sutter  on  special  business,  and  they  wanted 
to  see  Governor  Mason  in  person.  I  took  them  in  to  the  colo 
nel,  and  left  them  together.  After  some  time  the  colonel  came 
to  his  door  and  called  to  me.  I  went  in,  and  my  attention  was 
directed  to  a  series  of  papers  unfolded  on  his  table,  in  which 
lay  about  half  an  ounce  of  placer-gold.  Mason  said  to  me, 
"  What  is  that  ? "  I  touched  it  and  examined  one  or  two  of  the 
larger  pieces,  and  asked,  "  Is  it  gold  ? "  Mason  asked  me  if  I 
had  ever  seen  native  gold.  I  answered  that,  in  1844,  I  was 
in  Upper  Georgia,  and  there  saw  some  native  gold,  but  it  was 
much  finer  than  this,  and  that  it  was  in  phials,  or  in  transparent 
quills  ;  but  I  said  that,  if  this  were  gold,  it  could  be  easily  tested, 
first,  by  its  malleability,  and  next  by  acids.  I  took  a  piece  in 
my  teeth,  and  the  metallic  lustre  was  perfect.  I  then  called  to 
the  clerk,  Baden,  to  bring  an  axe  and  hatchet  from  the  back 
yard.  When  these  were  brought,  I  took  the  largest  piece  and 
beat  it  out  flat,  and  beyond  doubt  it  was  metal,  and  a  pure 
metal.  Still,  we  attached  little  importance  to  the  fact,  for  gold 
was  known  to  exist  at  San  Fernando,  at  the  south,  and  yet  was 
not  considered  of  much  value. 

Colonel  Mason  then  handed  me  a  letter  from  Captain  Sutter, 
addressed  to  him,  stating  that  he  (Sutter)  was  engaged  in  erecting 
a  saw-mill  at  Coloma,  about  forty  miles  up  the  American  Fork, 


1846-'48.]      EAELY  EECOLLECTIONS  OF   CALIFORNIA.  41 

above  his  fort  at  New  Helvetia,  for  the  general  benefit  of  the 
settlers  in  that  vicinity ;  that  he  had  incurred  considerable  ex 
pense,  and  wanted  a  "preemption"  to  the  quarter-section  of 
land  on  which  the  mill  was  located,  embracing  the  tail-race 
in  which  this  particular  gold  had  been  found.  Mason  in 
structed  me  to  prepare  a  letter,  in  answer,  for  his  signature. 
I  wrote  off  a  letter,  reciting  that  California  was  yet  a  Mexican 
province,  simply  held  by  us  as  a  conquest ;  that  no  laws  of  the 
United  States  yet  applied  to  it,  much  less  the  land  laws  or 
preemption  laws,  which  could  only  apply  after  a  public  survey. 
Therefore  it  was  impossible  for  the  Governor  to  promise  him 
(Sutter)  a  title  to  the  land ;  yet,  as  there  were  no  settlements 
within  forty  .miles,  he  was  not  likely  to  be  disturbed  by  tres 
passers.  Colonel  Mason  signed  the  letter,  handed  it  to  one  of 
the  gentlemen  who  had  brought  the  sample  of  gold,  and  they 
departed. 

That  gold  was  the  first  discovered  in  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
which  soon  revolutionized  the  whole  country,  and  actually  moved 
the  whole  civilized  world.  About  this  time  (May  and  June, 
1848),  far  more  importance  was  attached  to  quicksilver.  One 
mine,  the  New  Almaden,  twelve  miles  south  of  San  Jose,  was 
well  known,  and  was  in  possession  of  the  agent  of  a  Scotch  gentle 
man  named  Forbes,  who  at  the  time  was  British  consul  at  Tepic, 
Mexico.  Mr.  Forbes  came  up  from  San  Bias  in  a  small  brig, 
which  proved  to  be  a  Mexican  vessel ;  the  vessel  was  seized, 
condemned,  and  actually  sold,  but  Forbes  was  wealthy,  and 
bought  her  in.  His  title  to  the  quicksilver-mine  was,  however, 
never  disputed,  as  he  had  bought  it  regularly,  before  our  con 
quest  of  the  country,  from  another  British  subject,  also  named 
Forbes,  a  resident  of  Santa  Clara  Mission,  who  had  purchased 
it  of  the  discoverer,  a  priest ;  but  the  boundaries  of  the  land 
attached  to  the  mine  were  even  then  in  dispute.  Other  men 
were  in  search  of  quicksilver ;  and  the  whole  range  of  moun 
tains  near  the  New  Almaden  mine  was  stained  with  the  brilliant 
red  of  the  sulphuret  of  mercury  (cinnabar).  A  company  com 
posed  of  T.  O.  Larkin,  J.  E.  Snyder,  and  others,  among  them 
one  John  Ricord  (who  was  quite  a  character),  also  claimed  a 


42  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-48. 

valuable  mine  near  by.  Ricord  was  a  lawyer  from  about  Buf 
falo,  and  by  some  means  had  got  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where 
he  became  a  great  favorite  of  the  king,  Kamehameha  ;  was  his 
attorney-general,  and  got  into  a  difficulty  with  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Judd,  who  was  a  kind  of  prime-minister  to  his  majesty.  One 
or  the  other  had  to  go,  and  Ricord  left  for  San  Francisco,  where 
he  arrived  while  Colonel  Mason  and  I  were  there  on  some  busi 
ness  connected  with  the  customs.  Ricord  at  once  made  a  dead 
set  at  Mason  with  flattery,  and  all  sorts  of  spurious  arguments, 
to  convince  him  that  our  military  government  was  too  simple 
in  its  forms  for  the  new  state  of  facts,  and  that  he  was  the 
man  to  remodel  it.  I  had  heard  a  good  deal  to  his  prejudice, 
and  did  all  I  could  to  prevent  Mason  taking  him  into  his 
confidence.  "We  then  started  back  for  Monterey.  Ricord  was 
along,  and  night  and  day  he  was  harping  on  his  scheme ;  but  he 
disgusted  Colonel  Mason  with  his  flattery,  and,  on  reaching  Mon 
terey,  he  opened  what  he  called  a  law-office,  but  there  were 
neither  courts  nor  clients,  so  necessity  forced  him  to  turn  his 
thoughts  to  something  else,  and  quicksilver  became  his  hobby. 
In  the  spring  of  1848  an  appeal  came  to  our  office  from  San 
Jose,  which  compelled  the  Governor  to  go  up  in  person.  Lieu 
tenant  Loeser  and  I,  with  a  couple  of  soldiers,  went  along.  At 
San  Jose  the  Governor  held  some  kind  of  a  court,  in  which 
Ricord  and  the  alcalde  had  a  warm  dispute  about  a  certain 
mine  which  Ricord,  as  a  member  of  the  Larkin  Company,  had 
opened  within  the  limits  claimed  by  the  New  Almaden  Com 
pany.  On  our  way  up  we  had  visited  the  ground,  and  were 
therefore  better  prepared  to  understand  the  controversy.  "W^e 
had  found  at  New  Almaden  Mr.  "Walkinshaw,  a  fine  Scotch 
gentleman,  the  resident  agent  of  Mr.  Forbes.  He  had  built  in 
the  valley,  near  a  small  stream,  a  few  board-houses,  and  some 
four  or  five  furnaces  for  the  distillation  of  the  mercury.  These 
were  very  simple  in  their  structure,  being  composed  of  whalers' 
kettles,  set  in  masonry.  These  kettles  were  filled  with  broken 
ore  about  the  size  of  McAdam-stone,  mingled  with  lime.  An 
other  kettle,  reversed,  formed  the  lid,  and  the  seam  was  luted 
with  clay.  On  applying  heat,  the  mercury  was  volatilized  and 


1S46-'4S.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  43 

carried  into  a  chimney-stack,  where  it  condensed  and  flowed 
back  into  a  reservoir,  and  then  was  led  in  pipes  into  another 
kettle  outside.  After  witnessing  this  process,  we  visited  the 
mine  itself,  which  outcropped  near  the  apex  of  the  hill,  about  a 
thousand  feet  above  the  furnaces.  We  found  wagons  hauling 
the  mineral  down  the  hill  and  returning  empty,  and  in  the 
mines  quite  a  number  of  Sonora  miners  were  blasting  and  driv 
ing  for  the  beautiful  ore  (cinnabar).  It  was  then,  and  is  now,  a 
most  valuable  mine.  The  adit  of  the  mine  was  at  the  apex  of 
the  hill,  which  drooped  off  to  the  north.  "We  rode  along  this 
hill,  and  saw  where  many  openings  had  been  begun,  but  these, 
proving  of  little  or  no  value,  had  been  abandoned.  Three  miles 
beyond,  on  the  west  face  of  the  hill,  we  came  to  the  opening 
of  the  "  Larkin  Company."  There  was  evidence  of  a  good  deal 
of  work,  but  the  mine  itself  was  filled  up  by  what  seemed  a 
land-slide.  The  question  involved  in  the  lawsuit  before  the 
alcalde  at  San  Jose  was,  first,  whether  the  mine  was  or  was  not 
on  the  land  belonging  to  the  Kew  Almaden  property ;  and,  next, 
whether  the  company  had  complied  with  all  the  conditions  of 
the  mining  laws  of  Mexico,  which  were  construed  to  be  still  in 
force  in  California. 

These  laws  required  that  any  one  who  discovered  a  valuable 
mine  on  private  land  should  first  file  with  the  alcalde,  or  judge 
of  the  district,  a  notice  and  claim  for  the  benefits  of  such  dis 
covery  ;  then  the  mine  was  to  be  opened  and  followed  for  a 
distance  of  at  least  one  hundred  feet  within  a  specified  time,  and 
the  claimants  must  take  out  samples  of  the  mineral  and  deposit 
the  same  with  the  alcalde,  who  was  then  required  to  inspect  per 
sonally  the  mine,  to  see  that  it  fulfilled  all  the  conditions  of  the 
law,  before  he  could  give  a  written  title.  In  this  case  the 
alcalde  had  been  to  the  mine  and  had  possession  of  samples  of 
the  ore ;  but,  as  the  mouth  of  the  mine  was  closed  up,  as  alleged, 
from  the  act  of  God,  by  a  land-slide,  it  was  contended  by  Bicord 
and  his  associates  that  it  was  competent  to  prove  by  good 
witnesses  that  the  mine  had  been  opened  into  the  hill  one 
hundred  feet,  and  that,  by  no  negligence  of  theirs,  it  had  caved 
in.  It  was  generally  understood  that  Robert  J.  "Walker,  United 


44  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-M8. 

States  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  was  then  a  partner  in  this 
mining  company ;  and  a  vessel,  the  bark  Gray  Eagle,  was  ready 
at  San  Francisco  to  sail  for  New  York  with  the  title-papers  on 
which  to  base  a  joint-stock  company  for  speculative  uses.  I 
think  the  alcalde  was  satisfied  that  the  law  had  been  complied 
with,  that  he  had  given  the  necessary  papers,  and,  as  at  that 
time  there  was  nothing  developed  to  show  fraud,  the  Governor 
(Mason)  did  not  interfere.  At  that  date  there  was  no  public 
house  or  tavern  in  'San  Jose  where  we  could  stop,  so  we 
started  toward  Santa  Cruz  and  encamped  about  ten  miles  out, 
to  the  west  of  the  town,  where  we  fell  in  with  another  party  of 
explorers,  of  whom  Ruckel,  of  San  Francisco,  was  the  head ;  and 
after  supper,  as  we  sat  around  the  camp-fire,  the  conversation 
turned  on  quicksilver  in  general,  and  the  result  of  the  contest  in 
San  Jose  in  particular.  Mason  was  relating  to  Ruckel  the  points 
and  the  arguments  of  Kicord,  that  the  company  should  not  suffer 
from  an  act  of  God,  viz.,  the  caving  in  of  the  mouth  of  the  mine, 
when  a  man  named  Cash,  a  fellow  who  had  once  been  in  the 
quartermaster's  employ  as  a  teamster,  spoke  up :  "  Governor 
Mason,  did  Judge  Eicord  say  that  ? "  "  Yes,"  said  the  Gov 
ernor;  and  then  Cash  related  how  he  and  another  man,  whose 
name  he  gave,  had  been  employed  by  Eicord  to  undermine  a 
heavy  rock  that  rested  above  the  mouth  of  the  mine,  so  that  it 
tumbled  down,  carrying  with  it  a  large  quantity  of  earth,  and 
completely  filled  it  up,  as  we  had  seen ;  "  and,"  said  Cash,  "  it 
took  us  three  days  of  the  hardest  kind  of  work."  This  was  the 
act  of  God,  and  on  the  papers  procured  from  the  alcalde  at  that 
time,  I  understand,  was  built  a  huge  speculation,  by  which 
thousands  of  dollars  changed  hands  in  the  United  States  and 
were  lost.  This  happened  long  before  the  celebrated  McGarra- 
han  claim,  which  has  produced  so  much  noise,  and  which  still  is 
being  prosecuted  in  the  courts  and  in  Congress. 

On  the  next  day  we  crossed  over  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains, 
from  which  we  had  sublime  views  of  the  scenery,  first  looking 
east  toward  the  lower  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  with  the  bright 
plains  of  Santa  Clara  and  San  Jose,  and  then  to  the  west  upon 
the  ocean,  the  town  of  Monterey  being  visible  sixty  miles  off. 


1846-'48.]     EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  45 

If  my  memory  is  correct,  we  beheld  from  that  mountain  the 
firing  of  a  salute  from  the  battery  at  Monterey,  and  counted  the 
number  of  guns  from  the  white  puffs  of  smoke,  but  could  not 
hear  the  sound.  That  night  we  slept  on  piles  of  wheat  in  a 
mill  at  Sequel,  near  Santa  Cruz,  and,  our  supplies  being  short,  I 
advised  that  we  should  make  an  early  start  next  morning,  so  as 
to  reach  the  ranch  of  Don  Juan  Antonio  Yallejo,  a  particular 
friend,  who  had  a  large  and  valuable  cattle-ranch  on  the  Pajaro 
Biver,  about  twenty  miles  on  our  way  to  Monterey.  Accordingly, 
we  were  off  by  the  first  light  of  day,  and  by  nine  o'clock  we  had 
reached  the  ranch.  It  was  on  a  high  point  of  the  plateau, 
overlooking  the  plain  of  the  Pajaro,  on  which  were  grazing 
numbers  of  horses  and  cattle.  The  house  was  of  adobe,  with  a 
long  range  of  adobe-huts  occupied  by  the  semi-civilized  Indians, 
who  at  that  time  did  all  the  labor  of  a  ranch,  the  herding  and 
marking  of  cattle,  breaking  of  horses,  and  cultivating  the'  lit 
tle  patches  of  wheat  and  vegetables  which  constituted  all  the 
farming  of  that  day.  Every  thing  about  the  house  looked 
deserted,  and,  seeing  a  small  Indian  boy  leaning  up  against  a 
post,  I  approached  him  and  asked  him  in  Spanish,  "  "Where  is  the 
master  ? "  "  Gone  to  the  Presidio  "  (Monterey).  "  Is  anybody  in 
the  house  ?"  "No."  "  Is  it  locked  up  ?"  "Yes."  "Is  no  one 
about  who  can  get  in?"  "No."  "Have  you  any  meat?" 
"No."  "Any  flour  or  grain?"  "No."  "Any  chickens?" 
"No."  "Any  eggs?"  "No."  "What  do  you  live  on?" 
"  Nadd  "  (nothing).  The  utter  indifference  of  this  boy,  and  the 
tone  of  his  answer  "  JVada"  attracted  the  attention  of  Colonel 
Mason,  who  had  been  listening  to  our  conversation,  and  who 
knew  enough  of  Spanish  to  catch  the  meaning,  and  he  exclaimed 
with  some  feeling,  "So  we  get  nada  for  our  breakfast."  I 
felt  mortified,  for  I  had  held  out  the  prospect  of  a  splendid 
breakfast  of  meat  and  tortillas  with  rice,  chickens,  eggs,  etc.,  at 
the  ranch  of  my  friend  Jose  Antonio,  as  a  justification  for 
taking  the  Governor,  a  man  of  sixty  years  of  age,  more  than 
twenty  miles  at  a  full  canter  for  his  breakfast.  But  there  was 
no  help  for  it,  and  we  accordingly  went  a  short  distance  to  a 
pond,  where  we  unpacked  our  mules  and  made  a  slim  breakfast 


46  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'4S. 

on  some  scraps  of  hard  bread  and  a  bone  of  pork  that  remained 
in  our  alforjas.  This  was  no  uncommon  tning  in  those  days, 
when  many  a  ranchero  with  his  eleven  leagues  of  land,  his 
hundreds  of  horses  and  thousands  of  cattle,  would  receive  us 
with  all  the  grandiloquence  of  a  Spanish  lord,  and  confess  that 
he  had  nothing  in*  his  house  to  eat  except  the  carcass  of  a  beef 
hung  up,  from  which  the  stranger  might  cut  and  cook,  without 
money  or  price,  what  he  needed.  That  night  we  slept  on 
Salinas  Plain,  and  the  next  morning  reached  Monterey.  All  the 
missions  and  houses  at  that  period  were  alive  with  fleas,  which 
the  natives  looked  on  as  pleasant  titillators,  but  they  so  tortured 
me  that  I  always  gave  them  a  wide  berth,  and  slept  on  a 
saddle-blanket,  with  the  saddle  for  a  pillow  and  the  serape,  or 
blanket,  for  a  cover.  We  never  feared  rain  except  in  winter. 
As  the  spring  and  summer  of  1848  advanced,  the  reports  came 
faster  and  faster  from  the  gold-mines  at  Sutter's  saw-mill. 
Stories  reached  us  of  fabulous  discoveries,  and  spread  throughout 
the  land.  Everybody  was  talking  of  "  Gold !  gold  ! ! "  until  it 
assumed  the  character  of  a  fever.  Some  of  our  soldiers  began 
to  desert ;  citizens  were  fitting  out  trains  of  wagons  and  pack- 
mules  to  go  to  the  mines.  We  heard  of  men  earning  fifty,  five 
hundred,  and  thousands  of  dollars  per  day,  and  for  a  time  it 
seemed  as  though  somebody  would  reach  solid  gold.  Some  of 
this  gold  began  to  come  to  Terba  Buena  in  trade,  and  to  disturb  the 
value  of  merchandise,  particularly  of  mules,  horses,  tin  pans,  and 
articles  used  in  mining.  I  of  course  could  not  escape  the  infec 
tion,  and  at  last  convinced  Colonel  Mason  that  it  was  our  duty  to 
go  up  and  see  with  our  own  eyes,  that  we  might  report  the  truth 
to  our  Government.  As  yet  we  had  no  regular  mail  to  any  part 
of  the  United  States,  but  mails  had  come  to  us  at  long  intervals, 
around  Cape  Horn,  and  one  or  two  overland.  I  well  remember 
the  first  overland  mail.  It  was  brought  by  Kit  Carson  in 
saddle-bags  from  Taos  in  New  Mexico.  "We  heard  of  his  arrival 
at  Los  Angeles,  and  waited  patiently  for  his  arrival  at  head 
quarters.  His  fame  then  was  at  its  height,  from  the  publica 
tion  of  Fremont's  books,  and  I  was  very  anxious  to  see  a  man 
who  had  achieved  such  feats  of  daring  among  the  wild  animals 


1846-'48.]  EAKLY  EECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      47 

of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  still  wilder  Indians  of  the  Plains. 
At  last  his  arrival  was  reported  at  the  tavern  at  Monterey,  and 
I  hurried  to  hunt  him  up.  I  cannot  express  my  surprise  at  be 
holding  a  small,  stoop-shouldered  man,  with  reddish  hair, 
freckled  face,  soft  blue  eyes,  and  nothing  to  indicate  extraor 
dinary  courage  or  daring.  He  spoke  but  little,  and  answered 
questions  in  monosyllables.  I  asked  for  his  mail,  and  he  picked 
up  his  light  saddle-bags  containing  the  great  overland  mail, 
and  we  walked  together  to  headquarters,  where  he  delivered  his 
parcel  into  Colonel  Mason's  own  hands.  He  spent  some  days  in 
Monterey,  during  which  time  we  extracted  with  difficulty  some 
items  of  his  personal  history.  He  was  then  by  commission  a 
lieutenant  in  the  regiment  of  Mounted  Rifles  serving  in  Mexico 
under  Colonel  Sumner,  and,  as  he  could  not  reach  his  regiment 
from  California,  Colonel  Mason  ordered  that  for  a  time  he 
should  be  assigned  to  duty  with  A.  J.  Smith's  company,  First 
Dragoons,  at  Los  Angeles.  He  remained  at  Los  Angeles  some 
months,  and  was  then  sent  back  to  the  United  States  with  dis 
patches,  traveling  two  thousand  miles  almost  alone,  in  prefer 
ence  to  being  encumbered  by  a  large  party. 

Toward  the  close  of  June,  1848,  the  gold-fever  being  at  its 
height,  by  Colonel  Mason's  orders  I  made  preparations  for  his 
trip  to  the  newly-discovered  gold-mines  at  Sutter's  Fort.  I  se 
lected  four  good  soldiers,  with  Aaron,  Colonel  Mason's  black  ser 
vant,  and  a  good  outfit  of  horses  and  pack-mules,  we  started  by 
the  usually  traveled  route  for  Yerba  Buena.  There  Captain  Fol- 
som  and  two  citizens  joined  our  party.  The  first  difficulty  was 
to  cross  the  bay  to  Saucelito.  Folsom,  as  quartermaster,  had  a 
sort  of  scow  with  a  large  sail,  with  which  to  discharge  the  car 
goes  of  ships,  that  could  not  come  within  a  mile  of  the  shore. 
It  took  nearly  the  whole  day  to  get  the  old  scow  up  to  the  only 
wharf  there,  and  then  the  water  was  so  shallow  that  the  scow, 
with  its  load  of  horses,  would  not  float  at  the  first  high  tide,  but 
by  infinite  labor  on  the  next  tide  she  was  got  off  and  safely 
crossed  over  to  Saucelito.  We  followed  in  a-  more  comfortable 
schooner.  Having  safely  landed  our  horses  and  mules,  we 
packed  up  and  rode  to  San  Rafael  Mission,  stopping  with  Don 


4:8  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

Timoteo  Murphy.  The  next  day's  journey  took  us  to  Bodega, 
where  lived  a  man  named  Stephen  Smith,  who  had  the  only  steam 
saw-mill  in  California.  He  had  a  Peruvian  wife,  and  employed  a 
number  of  absolutely  naked  Indians  in  making  adobes.  We  spent 
a  day  very  pleasantly  with  him,  and  learned  that  he  had  come  to 
California  some  years  before,  at  the  personal  advice  of  Daniel 
"Webster,  who  had  informed  him  that  sooner  or  later  the  United 
States  would  be  in  possession  of  California,  and  that  in  conse 
quence  it  would  become  a  great  country.  From  Bodega  we  trav 
eled  to  Sonoma,  by  way  of  Petalurna,  and  spent  a  day  with  Gen 
eral  Yallejo.  I  had  been  there  before,  as  related,  in  the  business 
of  the  alcalde  Nash.  From  Sonoma  we  crossed  over  by  way  of 
Napa,  Suisun,  and  Yaca's  ranch,  to  the  Puta.  In  the  rainy  season, 
the  plain  between  the  Puta  and  Sacramento  Eivers  is  impassable, 
but  in  July  the  waters  dry  up ;  and  we  passed  without  trouble,  by 
the  trail  for  Suttees  JEmbarcadero.  We  reached  the  Sacramento 
River,  then  full  of  water,  with  a  deep,  clear  current.  The  only 
means  of  crossing  over  was  by  an  Indian  dugout  canoe.  We  be 
gan  by  carrying  across  our  packs  and  saddles,  and  then  our  people. 
When  all  things  were  ready,  the  horses  were  driven  into  the  wa 
ter,  one  being  guided  ahead  by  a  man  in  the  canoe.  Of  course, 
the  horses  and  mules  at  first  refused  to  take  to  the  water,  and 
it  was  nearly  a  day's  work  to  get  them  across,  and  even  then 
some  of  our  animals  after  crossing  escaped  into  the  woods  and 
undergrowth  that  lined  the  river,  but  we  secured  enough  of 
them  to  reach  Suiter's  Fort,  three  miles  back  from  the  embar- 
cadero,  where  we  encamped  at  the  old  slough,  or  pond,  near 
the  fort.  On  application,  Captain  Sutter  sent  some  Indians 
back  into  the  bushes,  who  recovered  and  brought  in  all  our 
animals.  At  that  time  there  was  not  the  sign  of  a  habitation 
there  or  thereabouts,  except  the  fort,  and  an  old  adobe-house, 
east  of  the  fort,  known  as  the  hospital.  The  fort  itself  was  one 
of  adobe-walls,  about  twenty  feet  high,  rectangular  in  form, 
with  two-story  block-houses  at  diagonal  corners.  The  entrance 
was  by  a  large  gate,  open  by  day  and  closed  at  night,  with  two 
iron  ship's  guns  near  at  hand.  Inside  there  was  a  large  house, 
with  a  good  shingle-roof,  used  as  a  storehouse,  and  all  round  the 


1846-'48.]      EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  49 

walls  were  ranged  rooms,  the  fort  -  wall  being  the  outer  wall 
of  the  house.  The  inner  wall  also  was  of  adobe.  These  rooms 
were  used  by  Captain  Sutter  himself  and  by  his  people.  He 
had  a  blacksmith's  shop,  carpenter's  shop,  etc.,  and  other  rooms 
where  the -women  made  blankets.  Sutter  was  monarch  of  all  he 
surveyed,  and  had  authority  to  inflict  punishment  even  unto 
death,  a  power  he  did  not  fail  to  use.  He  had  horses,  cattle,  and 
sheep,  and  of  these  he  gave  liberally  and  without  price  to  all  in 
need.  He  caused  to  be  driven  into  our  camp  a  beef  and  some 
sheep,  which  were  slaughtered  for  our  use.  Already  the  gold 
mines  were  beginning  to  be  felt.  Many  people  were  then  en 
camped,  some  going  and  some  coming,  all  full  of  gold-stories, 
and  each  surpassing  the  other.  We  found  preparations  in  prog 
ress  for  celebrating  the  Fourth  of  July,  then  close  at  hand,  and 
we  agreed  to  remain  over  to  assist  on  the  occasion ;  of  course,  be 
ing  the  high  officials,  we  were  the  honored  guests.  People  came 
from  a  great  distance  to  attend  this  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of 
July,  and  "the  tables  were  laid  in  the  large  room  inside  the  store 
house  of  the  fort.  A  man  of  some  note,  named  Sinclair,  presided, 
and  after  a  substantial  meal  and  a  reasonable  supply  of  aguar 
diente  we  began  the  toasts.  All  that  I  remember  is  that  Folsom 
and  I  spoke  for  our  party ;  others,  Captain  Sutter  included,  made 
speeches,  and  before  the  celebration  was  over  Sutter  was  very 
"  tight,"  and  many  others  showed  the  effects  of  the  aguardiente. 
The  next  day  (namely,  July  5,  1848)  we  resumed  our  journey 
toward  the  mines,  and,  in  twenty-five  miles  of  as  hot  and  dusty 
a  ride  as  possible,  we  reached  Mormon  Island.  I  have  hereto 
fore  stated  that  the  gold  was  first  found  in  the  tail-race  of  the 
saw-mill  at  Coloma,  forty  miles  above  Sutter's  Fort,  or  fifteen 
above  Mormon  Island,  in  the  bed  of  the  American  Fork  of  the 
Sacramento  River.  It  seems  that  Sutter  had  employed  an 
American  named  Marshall,  a  sort  of  millwright,  to  do  this 
work  for  him,  but  Marshall  afterward  claimed  that  in  the  matter 
of  the  saw-mOl  they  were  copartners.  At  all  events,  Marshall 
and  his  family,  in  the  winter  of  18-iY-'48,  were  living  at  Coloma, 
where  the  pine-trees  afforded  the  best  material  for  lumber.  He 
had  under  him  four  white  men,  Mormons,  who  had  been  dis- 


50  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

charged  from  Cooke's  battalion,  and  some  Indians.    These  were 

O  ' 

engaged  in  hewing  logs,  building  a  mill-dam,  and  putting  up  a 
saw-mill.  Marshall,  as  the  architect,  had  made  the  "  tub-wheel," 
and  had  set  it  in  motion,  and  had  also  furnished  some  of  the 
rude  parts  of  machinery  necessary  for  an  ordinary  up-and-down 
saw-mill. 

Labor  was  very  scarce,  expensive,  and  had  to  be  economized. 
The  mill  was  built  over  a  dry  channel  of  the  river  which  was 
calculated  to  be  the  tail-race.  After  arranging  his  head-race, 
dam,  and  tub-wheel,  he  let  on  the  water  to  test  the  goodness 
of  his  machinery.  It  worked  very  well  until  it  was  found  that 
the  tail-race  did  not  carry  off  the  water  fast  enough,  so  he  put 
his  men  to  work  in  a  rude  way  to  clear  out  the  tail-race.  They 
scratched  a  kind  of  ditch  down  the  middle  of  the  dry  channel, 
throwing  the  coarser  stones  to  one  side ;  then,  letting  on  the 
water  again,  it  would  run  with  velocity  down  the  channel,  wash 
ing  away  the  dirt,  thus  saving  labor.  This  course  of  action  was 
repeated  several  tunes,  acting  exactly  like  the  long  Tom  after 
ward  resorted  to  by  the  miners.  As  Marshall  himself  was  work 
ing  in  this  ditch,  he  observed  particles  of  yellow  metal  which 
he  gathered  up  in  his  hand,  when  it  seemed  to  have  suddenly 
flashed  across  his  mind  that  it  was  gold.  After  picking  up  about 
an  ounce,  he  hurried  down  to  the  fort  to  report  to  Captain 
Sutter  his  discovery.  Captain  Sutter  himself  related  to  me 
Marshall's  account,  saying  that,  as  he  sat  in  his  room  at  the  fort 
one  day  in  February  or  March,  1848,  a  knock  was  heard  at  his 
door,  and  he  called  out,  "  Come  in."  In  walked  Marshall,  who 
was  a  half-crazy  man  at  best,  but  then  looked  strangely  wild. 
"  "What  is  the  matter,  Marshall  ? "  Marshall  inquired  if  any  one 
was  within  hearing,  and  began  to  peer  about  the  room,  and  look 
under  the  bed,  when  Sutter,  fearing  that  some  calamity  had  be 
fallen  the  party  up  at  the  saw-mill,  and  that  Marshall  was  really 
crazy,  began  to  make  his  way  to  the  door,  demanding  of  Mar 
shall  to  explain  what  was  the  matter.  At  last  he  revealed  his 
discovery,  and  laid  before  Captain  Sutter  the  pellicles  of  gold 
he  had  picked  up  in  the  ditch.  At  first,  Sutter  attached  little 
or  no  importance  to  the  discovery,  and  told  Marshall  to  go 


1846-'48.]      EAELT  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  51 

back  to  the  mill,  and  say  nothing  of  what  he  had  seen  to  his 
family,  or  any  one  else.  Yet,  as  it  might  add  value  to  the  loca. 
tion,  he  dispatched  to  our  headquarters  at  Monterey,  as  I  have 
already  related,  the  two  men  with  a  written  application  for  a 
preemption  to  the  quarter-section  of  land  at  Coloma.  Marshall 
returned  to  the  mill,  but  could  not  keep  out  of  his  wonderful 
ditch,  and  by  some  means  the  other  men  employed  there  learned 
his  secret.  They  then  wanted  to  gather  the  gold,  and  Marshall 
threatened  to  shoot  them  if  they  attempted  it ;  but  these  men 
had  sense  enough  to  know  that  if  "  placer  "-gold  existed  at  Co 
loma,  it  would  also  be  found  farther  down-stream,  and  they 
gradually  "prospected"  until  they  reached  Mormon  Island, 
fifteen  miles  below,  where  they  discovered  one  of  the  richest 
placers  on  earth.  These  men  revealed  the  fact  to  some  other 
Mormons  who  were  employed  by  Captain  Sutter  at  a  grist-mill 
he  was  building  still  lower  down  the  American  Fork,  and  six 
miles  above  his  fort.  All  of  them  struck  for  higher  wages,  to 
which  Sutter  yielded,  until  they  asked  ten  dollars  a  day,  which 
he  refused,  and  the  two  mills  on  which  he  had  spent  so  much 
money  were  never  built,  and  fell  into  decay. 

In  my  opinion,  when  the  Mormons  were  driven  from  Nau- 
voo,  Illinois,  in  1844,  they  cast  about  for  a  land  where  they 
would  not  be  disturbed  again,  and  fixed  on  California.  In  the 
year  1845  a  ship,  the  Brooklyn,  sailed  from  New  York  for 
California,  with  a  colony  of  Mormons,  of  which  Sam  Brannan 
was  the  leader,  and  we  found  them  there  on  our  arrival  in  Jan 
uary,  1847.  When  General  Kearney,  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  was 
collecting  volunteers  early  in  1846,  for  the  Mexican  "War,  he, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Captain  James  Allen,  brother  to 
our  quartermaster,  General  Robert  Allen,  raised  the  battalion 
of  Mormons  at  Kanesville,  Iowa,  now  Council  Bluffs,  on  the  ex 
press  understanding  that  it  would  facilitate  their  migration  to 
California.  But  when  the  Mormons  reached  Salt  Lake,  in  1846, 
they  learned  that  they  had  been  forestalled  by  the  United  States 
forces  in  California,  and  they  then  determined  to  settle  down 
where  they  were.  Therefore,  when  this  battalion  of  five  com 
panies  of  Mormons  (raised  by  Allen,  who  died  on  the  way,  and 


52  EAKLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

was  succeeded  by  Cooke)  was  discharged  at  Los  Angeles,  Cali 
fornia,  in  the  early  summer  of  1847,  most  of  the  men  went  to 
their  people  at  Salt  Lake,  with  all  the  money  received,  as  pay 
from  the  United  States,  invested  in  cattle  and  breeding-horses  ; 
one  company  reenlisted  for  another  year,  and  the  remainder 
sought  work  in  the  country.  As  soon  as  the  fame  of  the  gold  dis 
covery  spread  through  California,  the  Mormons  naturally  turned 
to  Mormon  Island,  so  that  in  July,  1848,  we  found  about  three 
hundred  of  them  there  at  work.  Sam  Brannan  was  on  hand  as 
the  high-priest,  collecting  the  tithes.  Clark,  of  Clark's  Point, 
one  of  the  elders,  was  there  also,  and  nearly  all  the  Mormons 
who  had  come  out  in  the  Brooklyn,  or  who  had  staid  in  California 
after  the  discharge  of  their  battalion,  as  herein  related.  I  re 
call  the  scene  as  perfectly  to-day  as  though  it  were  yesterday. 
In  the  midst  of  a  broken  country,  all  parched  and  dried  by  the 
hot  sun  of  July,  sparsely  wooded  with  live-oaks  and  straggling 
pines,  lay  the  valley  of  the  American  River,  with  its  bold  moun 
tain-stream  coming  out  of  the  Snowy  Mountains  to  the  east.  In 
this  valley  is  a  flat,  or  gravel-bed,  which  in  high  water  is  an 
island,  or  is  overflown,  but  at  the  time  of  our  visit  was  simply 
a  level  gravel-bed  of  the  river.  On  its  edges  men  were  digging, 
and  filling  buckets  with  the  finer  earth  and  gravel,  which  was 
carried  to  a  machine  made  like  a  baby's  cradle,  open  at  the  foot, 
and  at  the  head  a  plate  of  sheet-iron  or  zinc,  punctured  full 
of  holes.  On  this  metallic  plate  was  emptied  the  earth,  and 
water  was  then  poured  on  it  from  buckets,  while  one  man  shook 
the  cradle  with  violent  rocking  by  a  handle.  On  the  bottom 
were  nailed  cleats  of  wood.  With  this  rude  machine  four  men 
could  earn  from  forty  to  one  hundred  dollars  a  day,  averaging 
sixteen  dollars,  or  a  gold  ounce,  per  man  per  day.  While  the 
sun  blazed  down  on  the  heads  of  the  miners  with  tropical  heat, 
the  water  was  bitter  cold,  and  all  hands  were  either  standing  in 
the  water  or  had  their  clothes  wet  all  the  time  ;  yet  there  were 
no  complaints  of  rheumatism  or  cold.  We  made  our  camp  on 
a  small  knoll,  a  little  below  the  island,  and  from  it  could  overlook 
the  busy  scene.  A  few  bush-huts  nearby  served  as  stores,  board 
ing-houses,  and  for  sleeping ;  but  all  hands  slept  on  the  ground, 


1846-'48.]      EAELY  EECOLLEOTIONS  OF  CALIFOKNIA.  53 

with  pine-leaves  and  blankets  for  bedding.  As  soon  as  the  news 
spread  that  the  Governor  was  there,  persons  came  to  see  us,  and 
volunteered  all  kinds  of  information,  illustrating  it  by  samples 
of  the  gold,  which  was  of  a  uniform  kind,  "  scale-gold,"  bright  and 
beautiful.  A  large  variety,  of  every  conceivable  shape  and  form, 
was  found  in  the  smaller  gulches  round  about,  but  the  gold  in 
the  river-bed  was  uniformly  "  scale-gold."  I  remember  that 
Mr.  Clark  was  in  camp,  talking  to  Colonel  Mason  about  matters 
and  things  generally,  when  he  inquired,  "  Governor,  what  busi 
ness  has  Sam  Brannan  to  collect  the  tithes  here  ? "  Clark  ad 
mitted  that  Brannan  was  the  head  of  the  Mormon  church  in 
California,  and  he  was  simply  questioning  as  to  Brannan's 
right,  as  high-priest,  to  compel  the  Mormons  to  pay  him  the 
regular  tithes.  Colonel  Mason  answered,  "  Brannan  has  a  per 
fect  right  to  collect  the  tax,  if  you  Mormons  are  fools  enough 
to  pay  it."  "  Then,"  said  Clark,  "  I  for  one  won't  pay  it  any 
longer."  Colonel  Mason  added :  "  This  is  public  land,  and  the 
gold  is  the  property  of  the  United  States ;  all  of  you  here  are 
trespassers,  but,  as  the  Government  is  benefited  by  your  getting 
out  the  gold,  I  do  not  intend  to  interfere."  I  understood, 
afterward,  that  from  that  time  the  payment  of  the  tithes 
ceased,  but  Brannan  had  already  collected  enough  money  where 
with  to  hire  Sutter's  hospital,  and  to  open  a  store  there,  in 
which  he  made  more  money  than  any  merchant  in  California, 
during  that  summer  and  fall.  The  understanding  was,  that  the 
money  collected  by  him  as  tithes  was  the  foundation  of  his  for 
tune,  which  is  still  very  large  in  San  Francisco.  That  evening 
we  all  mingled  freely  with  the  miners,  and  witnessed  the  pro 
cess  of  cleaning  up  and  "panning"  out,  which  is  the  last  pro 
cess  for  separating  the  pure  gold  from  the  fine  dirt  and  black 
sand. 

The  next  day  we  continued  our  journey  up  the  valley  of 
the  American  Fork,  stopping  at  various  camps,  where  mining 
was  in  progress  ;  and  about  noon  we  reached  Coloma,  the  place 
where  gold  had  been  first  discovered.  The  hills  were  higher, 
and  the  timber  of  better  quality.  The  river  was  narrower  and 
bolder,  and  but  few  miners  were  at  work  there,  by  reason  of 


54  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

Marshall's  and  Butter's  claim  to  the  site.  There  stood  the  saw 
mill  unfinished,  the  dam  and  tail-race  just  as  they  were  left 
when  the  Mormons  ceased  work.  Marshall  and  his  family  of 
wife  and  half  a  dozen  tow-head  children  were  there,  guarding 
their  supposed  treasure ;  living  in  a  house  made  of  clapboards. 
Here  also  we  were  shown  many  specimens  of  gold,  of  a  coarser 
grain  than  that  found  at  Mormon  Island.  The  next  day  we 
crossed  the  American  River  to  its  north  side,  and  visited  many 
small  camps  of  men,  in  what  were  called  the  "  dry  diggings." 
Little  pools  of  water  stood  in  the  beds  of  the  streams,  and  these 
were  used  to  wash  the  dirt ;  and  there  the  gold  was  in  every 
conceivable  shape  and  size,  some  of  the  specimens  weighing 
several  ounces.  Some  of  these  "  diggings  "  were  extremely  rich, 
but  as  a  whole  they  were  more  precarious  in  results  than  at 
the  river.  Sometimes  a  lucky  fellow  would  hit  on  a  "  pocket," 
and  collect  several  thousand  dollars  in  a  few  days,  and  then 
again  he  would  be  shifting  about  from  place  to  place,  "  pros 
pecting,"  and  spending  all  he  had  made.  Little  stores  were 
being  opened  at  every  point,  where  flour,  bacon,  etc.,  were  sold ; 
every  thing  being  a  dollar  a  pound,  and  a  meal  usually  costing 
three  dollars.  Nobody  paid  for  a  bed,  for  he  slept  on  the 
ground,  without  fear  of  cold  or  rain.  We  spent  nearly  a  week 
in  that  region,  and  were  quite  bewildered  by  the  fabulous  tales 
of  recent^  discoveries,  which  at  the  time  were  confined  to  the  sev 
eral  forks  of  the  American  and  Tuba  Rivers.  All  this  time  our 
horses  had  nothing  to  eat  but  the  sparse  grass  in  that  region, 
and  we  were  forced  to  work  our  way  down  toward  the  Sacra 
mento  Yalley,  or  to  see  our  animals  perish.  Still  we  contem 
plated  a  visit  to  the  Tuba  and  Feather  Rivers,  from  which  we 
had  heard  of  more  wonderful  "  diggings ; "  but  met  a  courier, 
who  announced  the  arrival  of  a  ship  at  Monterey,  with  dispatches 
of  great  importance  from  Mazatlan*  "We  accordingly  turned  our 
horses  back  to  Sutter's  Fort.  Crossing  the  Sacramento  again  by 
swimming  our  horses,  and  ferrying  their  loads  in  that  solitary 
canoe,  we  took  our  back  track  as  far  as  the  !Napa,  and  then 
turned  to  Benicia,  on  Carquinez  Straits.  We  found  there  a  soli 
tary  adobe-house,  occupied  by  Mr.  Hastings  and  his  family, 


1846-'48.J      EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  CALIFORNIA.  55 

embracing  Dr.  Semple,  the  proprietor  of  the  ferry.  This  ferry- 
was  a  ship's-boat,  with  a  latteen-sail,  which  could  carry  across  at 
one  tide  six  or  eight  horses. 

It  took  us  several  days  to  cross  over,  and  during  that  time 
we  got  well  acquainted  with  the  doctor,  who  was  quite  a  character. 
He  had  come  to  California  from  Illinois,  and  was  brother  to 
Senator  Semple.  He  was  about  seven  feet  high,  and  very  in 
telligent.  When  we  first  reached  Monterey,  he  had  a  printing- 
press,  which  belonged  to  the  United  States,  having  been  cap 
tured  at  the  custom-house,  and  had  been  used  •  to  print  custom 
house  blanks.  "With  this  Dr.  Semple,  as  editor,  published  the 
California^  a  small  sheet  of  news,  once  a  week ;  and  it  was  a 
curiosity  in  its  line,  using  two  v's  for  a  w,  and  other  combina 
tions  of  letters,  made  necessary  by  want  of  type.  After  some 
time  he  removed  to  Yerba  Buena  with  his  paper,  and  it  grew  up 
to  be  the  Alia  California  of  to-day.  Foreseeing,  as  he  thought, 
the  growth  of  a  great  city  somewhere  on  the  Bay  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  he  selected  Carquinez  Straits  as  its  location,  and  obtained 
from  General  Yallejo  a  title  to  a  league  of  land,  on  condition  of 
building  up  a  city  thereon  to  bear  the  name  of  Yallejo's  wife. 
This  was  Francisca  Benicia;  accordingly,  the  new  city  was 
named  "  Francisca."  At  this  time,  the  town  near  the  mouth  of 
the  bay  was  known  universally  as  Terba  Buena  ;  but  that  name 
was  not  known  abroad,  although  San  Francisco  was  familiar  to 
the  whole  civilized  world.  Kow,  some  of  the  chief  men  of 
Yerba  Buena,  Folsom,  Howard,  Leidesdorf,  and  others,  know 
ing  the  importance  of  a  name,  saw  their  danger,  and,  by  some 
action  of  the  ayuntamiento,  or  town  council,  changed  the  name 
of  Yerba  Buena  to  "  San  Francisco."  Dr.  Semple  was  outraged 
at  their  changing  the  name  to  one  so  like  his  of  JFrancisca,  and 
he  in  turn  changed  his  town  to  the  other  name  of  Mrs.  Yallejo, 
viz.,  "  Benicia ; "  and  Benicia  it  has  remained  to  this  day.  I  am 
convinced  that  this  little  circumstance  was  big  with  consequences. 
That  Benicia  has  the  best  natural  site  for  a  commercial  city, 
I  am  satisfied ;  and  had  half  the  money  and  half  the  labor 
since  bestowed  upon  San  Francisco  been  expended  at  Benicia, 
we  should  have  at  this  day  a  city  of  palaces  on  the  Carquinez 


56  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

Straits.  The  name  of  "  San  Francisco,"  however,  fixed  the 
city  where  it  now  is ;  for  every  ship  in  1848-'4:9,  which  cleared 
from  any  part  of  the  world,  knew  the  name  of  San  Francisco, 
but  not  Yerba  Buena  or  Benicia ;  and,  accordingly,  ships  con 
signed  to  California  came  pouring  in  with  their  contents,  and 
were  anchored  in  front  of  Yerba  Buena,  the  first  town.  Cap 
tains  and  crews  deserted  for  the  gold-mines,  and  now  half  the 
city  in  front  of  Montgomery  Street  is  built  over  the  hulks  thus 
abandoned.  But  Dr.  Senaple,  at  that  time,  was  all  there  was  of 
Benicia ;  he  was  captain  and  crew  of  his  ferry-boat,  and  man 
aged  to  pass  our  party  to  the  south  side  of  Carquinez  Straits  in 
about  two  days. 

Thence  we  proceeded  up  Amador  Valley  to  Alameda  Creek, 
and  so  on  to  the  old  mission  of  San  Jose  ;  thence  to  the  pueblo 
of  San  Jose,  where  Folsom  and  those  belonging  in  Yerba  Buena 
went  in  that  direction,  and  we  continued  on  to  Monterey,  our 
party  all  the  way  giving  official  sanction  to  the  news  from  the 
gold-mines,  and  adding  new  force  to  the  "  fever." 

On  reaching  Monterey,  we  found  dispatches  from  Commo 
dore  Shubrick,  at  Mazatlan,  which  gave  almost  positive  assur 
ance  that  the  war  with  Mexico  was  over ;  that  hostilities  had 
ceased,  and  commissioners  were  arranging  the  terms  of  peace  at 
Guadalupe  Hidalgo.  It  was  well  that  this  news  reached  Cali 
fornia  at  that  critical  time ;  for  so  contagious  had  become  the 
"  gold-fever  "  that  everybody  was  bound  to  go  and  try  his  fortune, 
and  the  volunteer  regiment  of  Stevenson's  would  have  deserted 
en  masse,  had  the  men  not  been  assured  that  they  would  very 
soon  be  entitled  to  an  honorable  discharge. 

Many  of  our  regulars  did  desert,  among  them  the  very  men 
who  had  escorted  us  faithfully  to  the  mines  and  back.  Our  ser 
vants  also  left  us,  and  nothing  less  than  three  hundred  dollars  a 
month  would  hire  a  man  in  California ;  Colonel  Mason's  black 
boy,  Aaron,  alone  of  all  our  then  servants  proving  faithful.  "We 
were  forced  to  resort  to  all  manner  of  shifts  to  live.  First,  we 
had  a  mess  with  a  black  fellow  we  called  Bustamente  as  cook  ; 
but  he  got  the  fever,  and  had  to  go.  "We  next  took  a  soldier, 
but  he  deserted,  and  carried  off  my  double-barreled  shot-gun, 


1846-M8.]     EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  CALIFORNIA.  57 

which  I  prized  very  highly.  To  meet  this  condition  of  facts, 
Colonel  Mason  ordered  that  liberal  furloughs  should  be  given  to 
the  soldiers,  and  promises  to  all  in  turn,  and  he  allowed  all  the 
officers  to  draw  their  rations  in  kind.  As  the  actual  value  of 
the  ration  was  very  large,  this  enabled  us  to  live.  Halleck, 
Murray,  Ord,  and  I,  boarded  with  Dona  Augustias,  and  turned 
in  our  rations  as  pay  for  our  board. 

Some  time  in  September,  1848,  the  official  news  of  the  treaty 
of  peace  reached  us,  and  the  Mexican  War  was  over.  This  treaty 
was  signed  in  May,  and  came  to  us  all  the  way  by  land  by  a 
courier  from  Lower  California,  sent  from  La  Paz  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Burton.  On  its  receipt,  orders  were  at  once  made  for 
the  muster-out  of  all  of  Stevenson's  regiment,  and  our  military 
forces  were  thus  reduced  to  the  single  company  of  dragoons  at 
Los  Angeles,  and  the  one  company  of  artillery  at  Monterey. 
Nearly  all  business  had  ceased,  except  that  connected  with 
gold ;  and,  during  that  fall,  Colonel  Mason,  Captain  "Warner, 
and  I,  made  another  trip  up  to  Sutter's  Fort,  going  also  to  the 
newly-discovered  mines  on  the  Stanislaus,  called  "  Sonora," 
named  from  the  miners  of  Sonora,  Mexico,  who  had  first  discov 
ered  them.  "We  found  there  pretty  much  the  same  state  of  facts 
as  before  existed  at  Mormon  Island  and  Coloma,  and  we  daily 
received  intelligence  of  the  opening  of  still  other  mines  north 
and  south. 

But  I  have  passed  over  a  very  interesting  fact.  As  soon  as 
we  had  returned  from  our  first  visit  to  the  gold-mines,  it  became 
important  to  send  home  positive  knowledge  of  this  valuable  dis 
covery.  The  means  of  communication  .with  the  United  States 
were  very  precarious,  and  I  suggested  to  Colonel  Mason  that  a 
special  courier  ought  to  be  sent ;  that  Second-Lieutenant  Loeser 
had  been  promoted  to  first  -  lieutenant,  and  was  entitled  to 
go  home.  He  was  accordingly  detailed  to  carry  the  news.  I 
prepared  with  great  care  the  letter  to  the  adjutant  -  general 
of  August  17,  1848,  which  Colonel  Mason  modified  in  a  few 
particulars ;  and,  as  it  was  important  to  send  not  only  the 
specimens  which  had  been  presented  to  us  along  our  route  of 
travel,  I  advised  the  colonel  to  allow  Captain  Folsom  to  pur- 


58  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

chase  and  send  to  "Washington  a  large  sample  of  the  commercial 
gold  in  general  use,  and  to  pay  for  the  same  out  of  the  money 
in  his  hands  known  as  the  "  civil  fund,"  arising  from  duties  col 
lected  at  the  several  ports  in  California.  He  consented  to  this, 
and  Captain  Folsom  bought  an  oyster-can  full  at  ten  dollars  the 
ounce,  which  was  the  rate  of  value  at  which  it  was  then  received 
at  the  custom-house.  Folsom  was  instructed  further  to  contract 
with  some  vessel  to  carry  the  messenger  to  South  America,  where 
he  could  take  the  English  steamers  as  far  east  as  Jamaica,  with  a 
conditional  charter  giving  increased  payment  if  the  vessel  could 
catch  the  October  steamer.  Folsom  chartered  the  bark  La  Lam- 
bayecana,  owned  and  navigated  by  Henry  D.  Cooke,  who  has 
since  been  the  Governor  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  In  due 
time  this  vessel  reached  Monterey,  and  Lieutenant  Loeser,  with 
his  report  and  specimens  of  gold,  embarked  and  sailed.  He 
reached  the  South  American  Continent  at  Payta,  Peru,  in  time, 
took  the  English  steamer  of  October  to  Panama,  and  thence 
went  on  to  Kingston,  Jamaica,  where  he  found  a  sailing-vessel 
bound  for  New  Orleans.  On  reaching  New  Orleans,  he  tele 
graphed  to  the  War  Department  his  arrival ;  but  so  many  de 
lays  had  occurred  that  he  did  not  reach  Washington  in  time  to 
have  the  matter  embraced  in  the  President's  regular  message  of 
1848,  as  we  had  calculated.  Still,  the  President  made  it  the 
subject  of  a  special  message,  and  thus  became  "  official "  what 
had  before  only  reached  the  world  in  a  very  indefinite  shape. 
Then  began  that  wonderful  development,  and  the  great  emigra 
tion  to  California,  by  land  and  by  sea,  of  1849  and  1850. 

As  before  narrated,  Mason,  Warner,  and  I,  made  a  second 
visit  to  the  mines  in  September  and  October,  1848.  As  the 
winter  season  approached,  Colonel  Mason  returned  to  Monterey, 
and  I  remained  for  a  time  at  Sutter's  Fort.  In  order  to  share 
somewhat  in  the  riches  of  the  land,  we  formed  a  partnership  in 
a  store  at  Coloma,  in  charge  of  Norman  S.  Bestor,  who  had 
been  Warner's  clerk.  We  supplied  the  necessary  money,  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  (five  hundred  dollars  each),  and  Bestor  carried 
on  the  store  at  Coloma  for  his  share.  Out  of  this  investment, 
each  of  us  realized  a  profit  of  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 


1846-'48.]     EARLY  EECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  59 

Warner  also  got  a  regular  leave  of  absence,  and  contracted  with 
Captain  Sutter  for  surveying  and  locating  the  town  of  Sacra 
mento.  He  received  for  this  sixteen  dollars  per  day  for  his  ser 
vices  as  surveyor ;  and  Sutter  paid  all  the  hands  engaged  in  the 
work.  The  town  was  laid  off  mostly  up  about  the  fort,  but  a 
few  streets  were  staked  off  along  the  river-bank,  and  one  or  two 
leading  to  it.  Captain  Sutter  always  contended,  however,  that 
no  town  could  possibly  exist  on  the  immediate  bank  of  the  river, 
because  the  spring  freshets  rose  over  the  bank,  and  frequently 
it  was  necessary  to  swim  a  horse  to  reach  the  boat-landing. 
Nevertheless,  from  the  very  beginning  the  town  began  to  be 
built  on  the  very  river -bank,  viz.,  First,  Second,  and  Third 
Streets,  with  J  and  K  Streets  leading  back.  Among  the  prin 
cipal  merchants  and  traders  of  that  winter,  at  Sacramento,  were 
Sam  Brannan  and  Hensley,  Reading  &  Co.  For  several  years 
the  site  was  annually  flooded ;  but  the  people  have  persevered 
in  building  the  levees,  and  afterward  in  raising  all  the  streets, 
so  that  Sacramento  is  now  a  fine  city,  the  capital  of  the  State, 
and  stands  where,  in  1848,  was  nothing  but  a  dense  mass  of 
bushes,  vines,  and  submerged  land.  The  old  fort  has  disap 
peared  altogether. 

During  the  fall  of  1848,  "Warner,  Ord,  and  I,  camped  on  the 
bank  of  the  American  River,  abreast  of  the  fort,  at  what  was 
known  as  the  "  Old  Tan-Yard."  I  was  cook,  Ord  cleaned  up  the 
dishes,  and  Warner  looked  after  the  horses ;  but  Ord  was  de 
posed  as  scullion  because  he  would  only  wipe  the  tin  plates  with 
a  tuft  of  grass,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  whereas 
Warner  insisted  on  having  them  washed  after  each  meal  with 
hot  water.  Warner  was  in  consequence  promoted  to  scullion, 
and  Ord  became  the  hostler.  We  drew  our  rations  in  kind  from 
the  commissary  at  San  Francisco,  who  sent  them  up  to  us  by  a 
boat ;  and  we  were  thus  enabled  to  dispense  a  generous  hospi 
tality  to  many  a  poor  devil  who  otherwise  would  have  had  noth 
ing  to  eat. 

The  winter  of  1848-'49  was  a  period  of  intense  activity 
throughout  Calif ornia.  The  rainy  season  was  unfavorable  to  the 
operations  of  gold-mining,  and  was  very  hard  upon  the  thousands 


60  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF    CALIFORNIA.      [1846-'48. 

of  houseless  men  and  women  who  dwelt  in  the  mountains,  and 
even  in  the  towns.  Most  of  the  natives  and  old  inhabitants  had 
returned  to  their  ranches  and  houses  ;  yet  there  were  not  roofs 
enough  in  the  country  to  shelter  the  thousands  who  had  arrived 
by  sea  and  by  land.  The  news  had  gone  forth  to  the  whole 
civilized  world  that  gold  in  fabulous  quantities  was  to  be  had 
for  the  mere  digging,  and  adventurers  came  pouring  in  blindly 
to  seek  their  fortunes,  without  a  thought  of  house  or  food. 
Yerba  Buena  had  been  converted  into  San  Francisco.  Sacra 
mento  City  had  been  laid  out,  lots  were  being  rapidly  sold,  and 
the  town  was  being  built  up  as  an  entrepot  to  the  mines.  Stock 
ton  also  had  been  chosen  as  a  convenient  point  for  trading  with 
the  lower  or  southern  mines.  Captain  Sutter  was  the  sole  pro 
prietor  of  the  former,  and  Captain  Charles  Weber  was  the  owner 
of  the  site  of  Stockton,  which  was  as  yet  known  as  "  French 
Camp." 


CHAPTEK   II. 

EARLY   RECOLLECTIONS   OF   CALIFORNIA (CONTINUED). 

1849-1850. 

THE  department  headquarters  still  remained  at  Monterey, 
but,  with  the  few  soldiers,  we  had  next  to  nothing  to  do.  In 
midwinter  we  heard  of  the  approach  of  a  battalion  of  the  Second 
Dragoons,  under  Major  Lawrence  Pike  Graham,  with  Captains 
Rucker,  Coutts,  Campbell,  and  others,  along.  So  exhausted 
were  they  by  their  long  march  from  Upper  Mexico  that  we  had 
to  send  relief  to  meet  them  as  they  approached.  When  this 
command  reached  Los  Angeles,  it  was  left  there  as  the  garrison, 
and  Captain  A.  J.  Smith's  company  of  the  First  Dragoons  was 
brought  up  to  San  Francisco.  "We  were  also  advised  that  the 
Second  Infantry,  Colonel  B.  Riley,  would  be  sent  out  around 
Cape  Horn  in  sailing-ships;  that  the  Mounted  Rifles,  under 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Loring,  would  march  overland  to  Oregon ; 
and  that  Brigadier-General  Persifer  F.  Smith  would  come  out 
in  chief  command  on  the  Pacific  coast.  It  was  also  known  that 
a  contract  had  been  entered  into  with  parties  in  New  York  and 
New  Orleans  for  a  monthly  line  of  steamers  from  those  cities  to 
California,  via  Panama.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Burton  had  come 
up  from  Lower  California,  and,  as  captain  of  the  Third  Artil 
lery,  he  was  assigned  to  command  Company  F,  Third  Artillery, 
at  Monterey.  Captain  "Warner  remained  at  Sacramento,  survey 
ing;  and  Halleck,  Murray,  Ord,  and  I,  boarded  with  Dona 
Augustias.  The  season  was  unusually  rainy  and  severe,  but  we 
passed  the  time  with  the  usual  round  of  dances  and  parties. 
The  time  fixed  for  the  arrival  of  the  mail-steamer  was  under 
stood  to  be  about  January  1,  1849,  but  the  day  came  and  went 


62  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

without  any  tidings  of  her.  Orders  were  given  to  Captain  Bur 
ton  to  announce  her  arrival  by  firing  a  national  salute,  and  each 
morning  we  listened  for  the  guns  from  the  fort.  The  month 
of  January  passed,  and  the  greater  part  of  February,  too.  As 
was  usual,  the  army  officers  celebrated  the  22d  of  February 
with  a  grand  ball,  given  in  the  new  stone  school-house,  which 
Alcalde  "Walter  Colton  had  built.  It  was  the  largest  and  best 
hall  then  in  California.  The  ball  was  really  a  handsome  affair, 
and  we  kept  it  up  nearly  all  night.  The  next  morning  we  were 
at  breakfast :  present,  Dona  Augustias,  and  Manuelita,  Halleck, 
Murray,  and  myself.  "We  were  dull  and  stupid  enough  until  a 
gun  from  the  fort  aroused  us,  then  another  and  another.  "  The 
steamer ! "  exclaimed  all,  and,  without  waiting  for  hats  or  any 
thing,  off  we  dashed.  I  reached  the  wharf  hatless,  but  the 
dona  sent  my  cap  after  me  by  a  servant.  The  white  puffs 
of  smoke  hung  around  the  fort,  mingled  with  the  dense  fog, 
which  hid  all  the  water  of  the  bay,  and  well  out  to  sea  could  be 
seen  the  black  spars  of  some  unknown  vessel.  At  the  wharf  I 
found  a  group  of  soldiers  and  a  small  row-boat,  which  belonged 
to  a  brig  at  anchor  in  the  bay.  Hastily  ordering  a  couple  of 
willing  soldiers  to  get  in  and  take  the  oars,  and  Mr.  Larkin  and 
Mr.  Hartnell  asking  to  go  along,  we  jumped  in  and  pushed  off. 
Steering  our  boat  toward  the  spars,  which  loomed  up  above  the 
fog  clear  and  distinct,  in  about  a  mile  we  came  to  the  black  hull 
of  the  strange  monster,  the  long-expected  and  most  welcome 
steamer  California.  Her  wheels  were  barely  moving,  for  her 
pilot  could  not  see  the  shore-line  distinctly,  though  the  hills  and 
Point  of  Pines  could  be  clearly  made  out  over  the  fog,  and  occa 
sionally  a  glimpse  of  some  white  walls  showed  where  the  town 
lay.  A  "Jacob's  ladder"  was  lowered  for  us  from  the  steamer, 
and  in  a  minute  I  scrambled  up  on  deck,  followed  by  Larkin 
and  Hartnell,  and  we  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  many  old 
friends.  There  was  Canby,  the  adjutant-general,  who  was  to 
take  my  place ;  Charley  Hoyt,  my  cousin ;  General  Persif  er  F. 
Smith  and  wife ;  Gibbs,  his  aide-de-camp ;  Major  Ogden,  of  the 
Engineers,  and  wife ;  and,  indeed,  many  old  Californians,  among 
them  Alfred  Robinson,  and  Frank  Ward  with  his  pretty  bride. 


1S49-'50.]     EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  63 

By  the  time  the  ship  was  fairly  at  anchor  we  had  answered  a 
million  of  questions  about  gold  and  the  state  of  the  country ; 
and,  learning  that  the  ship  was  out  of  fuel,  had  informed  the 
captain  (Marshall)  that  there  was  abundance  of  pine-wood,  but 
no  willing  hands  to  cut  it ;  that  no  man  could  be  hired  at  less 
than  an  ounce  of  gold  a  day,  unless  the  soldiers  would  volunteer 
to  do  it  for  some  agreed-upon  price.  As  for  coal,  there  was  not 
a  pound  in  Monterey,  or  anywhere  else  in  California.  Vessels 
with  coal  were  known  to  be  en  route  around  Cape  Horn,  but 
none  had  yet  reached  California. 

The  arrival  of  this  steamer  was  the  beginning  of  a  new 
epoch  on  the  Pacific  coast ;  yet  there  she  lay,  helpless,  with 
out  coal  or  fuel.  The  native  Californians,  who  had  never 
seen  a  steamship,  stood  for  days  on  the  beach  looking  at  her, 
with  the  universal  exclamation,  "  Tan  feo  !  " — how  ugly  ! — 
and  she  was  truly  ugly  when  compared  with  the  clean,  well- 
sparred  frigates  and  sloops-of-war  that  had  hitherto  been  seen 
on  the  North  Pacific  coast.  It  was  first  supposed  it  would  take 
ten  days  to  get  wood  enough  to  prosecute  her  voyage,  and  there 
fore  all  the  passengers  who  could  took  up  their  quarters  on  shore. 
Major  Canby  relieved  me,  and  took  the  place  I  had  held  so  long 
as  adjutant-general  of  the  Department  of  Calif  ornia.  The  time 
seemed  most  opportune  for  me  to  leave  the  service,  as  I  had 
several  splendid  offers  of  employment  and  of  partnership,  and, 
accordingly,  I  made  my  written  resignation ;  but  General  Smith 
put  his  veto  upon  it,  saying  that  he  was  to  command  the  Division 
of  the  Pacific,  while  General  Biley  was  to  have  the  Department 
of  California,  and  Colonel  Loring  that  of  Oregon.  He  wanted 
me  as  his  adjutant-general,  because  of  my  familiarity  with  the 
country,  and  knowledge  of  its  then  condition.  At  the  time,  he 
had  on  his  staff  Gibbs  as  aide-de-camp,  and  Fitzgerald  as  quarter 
master.  He  also  had  along  with  him  quite  a  retinue  of  servants, 
hired  with  a  clear  contract  to  serve  him  for  a  whole  year  after 
reaching  California,  every  one  of  whom  deserted,  except  a  young 
black  fellow  named  Isaac.  Mrs.  Smith,  a  pleasant  but  delicate 
Louisiana  lady,  had  a  white  maid-servant,  in  whose  fidelity  she 
had  unbounded  confidence;  but  this  girl  was  married  to  a 


64  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

perfect  stranger,  and  off  before  she  had  even  landed  in  San 
Francisco. .  It  was,  therefore,  finally  arranged  that,  on  the  Cali 
fornia,  I  was  to  accompany  General  Smith  to  San  Francisco 
as  his  adjutant-general.  I  accordingly  sold  some  of  my  horses, 
and  arranged  for  others  to  go  up  by  land ;  and  from  that  time  I 
became  fairly  enlisted  in  the  military  family  of  General  Persifer 
F.  Smith. 

I  parted  with  my  old  commander,  Colonel  Mason,  with  sin 
cere  regret.  To  me  he  had  ever  been  kind  and  considerate,  and, 
while  stern,  honest  to  a  fault,  he  was  the  very  embodiment  of 
the  principle  of  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  the  General  Govern 
ment.  He  possessed  a  native  strong  intellect,  and  far  more 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  civil  government  and  law  than 
he  got  credit  for.  In  private  and  public  expenditures  he  was 
extremely  economical,  but  not  penurious.  In  cases  where  the 
officers  had  to  contribute  money  for  parties  and  entertainments, 
he  always  gave  a  double  share,  because  of  his  allowance  of  double 
rations.  During  our  frequent  journeys,  I  was  always  caterer, 
and  paid  all  the  bills.  In  settling  with  him  he  required  a 
written  statement  of  the  items  of  account,  but  never  disputed 
one  of  them.  During  our  time,  California  was,  as  now,  full  of 
a  bold,  enterprising,  and  speculative  set  of  men,  who  were  en 
gaged  in  every  sort  of  game  to  make  money.  I  know  that  Colonel 
Mason  was  beset  by  them  to  use  his  position  to  make  a  fortune 
for  himself  and  his  friends  ;  but  he  never  bought  land  or  town- 
lots,  because,  he  said,  it  was  his  place  to  hold  the  public  estate 
for  the  Government  as  free  and  unencumbered  by  claims  as  pos 
sible ;  and  when  I  wanted  him  to  stop  the  public-land  sales  in  San 
Francisco,  San  Jose,  etc.,  he  would  not ;  for,  although  he  did 
not  believe  the  titles  given  by  the  alcaldes  worth  a  cent,  yet  they 
aided  to  settle  the  towns  and  public  lands,  and  he  thought,  on 
the  whole,  the  Government  would  be  benefited  thereby.  The 
same  thing  occurred  as  to  the  gold-mines.  He  never  took  a  title 
to  a  town-lot,  unless  it  was  one,  of  no  real  value,  from  Alcalde 
Colton,  in  Monterey,  of  which  I  have  never  heard  since.  He 
did  take  a  share  in  the  store  which  "Warner,  Bestor,  and  I,  opened 
at  Coloma,  paid  his  share  of  the  capital,  five  hundred  dollars, 


1849-'50.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  65 

and  received  his  share  of  the  profits,  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  I 
think  also  he  took  a  share  in  a  venture  to  China  with  Larkin  and 
others ;  but,  on  leaving  California,  he  was  glad  to  sell  out  without 
profit  or  loss.  In  the  stern  discharge  of  his  duty  he  made  some 
bitter  enemies,  among  them  Henry  M.  ISTaglee,  who,  in  the  news 
papers  of  the  day,  endeavored  to  damage  his  fair  fame.  But, 
knowing  him  intimately,  I  am  certain  that  he  is  entitled  to  all 
praise  for  having  so  controlled  the  affairs  of  the  country  that, 
when  his  successor  arrived,  all  things  were  so  disposed  that  a 
civil  form  of  government  was  an  easy  matter  of  adjustment. 
Colonel  Mason  was  relieved  by  General  Eiley  some  time  in  April, 
and  left  California  in  the  steamer  of  the  1st  May  for  Washington 
and  St.  Louis,  where  he  died  of  cholera  in  the  summer  of  1849, 
and  his  body  is  buried  in  Belief ontaine  Cemetery.  His  widow 
afterward  married  Major  (since  General)  Don  Carlos  Buell,  and 
is  now  living  in  Kentucky. 

In  overhauling  the  hold  of  the  steamer  California,  as  she  lay 
at  anchor  in  Monterey  Bay,  a  considerable  amount  of  coal  was 
found  under  some  heavy  duplicate  machinery.  With  this,  and 
such  wood  as  had  been  gathered,  she  was  able  to  renew  her  voy 
age.  The  usual  signal  was  made,  and  we  all  went  on  board. 
About  the  1st  of  March  we  entered  the  Heads,  and  anchored  off 
San  Francisco,  near  the  United  States  line-of-battle-ship  Ohio, 
Commodore  T.  Ap  Catesby  Jones.  As  was  the  universal  cus 
tom  of  the  day,  the  crew  of  the  California  deserted  her ;  and 
she  lay  for  months  unable  to  make  a  trip  back  to  Panama,  as 
was  expected  of  her.  As  soon  as  we  reached  San  Francisco,  the 
first  thing  was  to  secure  an  office  and  a  house  to  live  in.  The 
weather  was  rainy  and  stormy,  and  snow  even  lay  on  the  hills 
back  of  the  Mission.  Captain  Folsom,  the  quartermaster,  agreed 
to  surrender  for  our  office  the  old  adobe  custom-house,  on  the 
upper  corner  of  the  plaza,  as  soon  as  he  could  remove  his 
papers  and  effects  down  to  one  of  his  warehouses  on  the  beach  ; 
and  he  also  rented  for  us  as  quarters  the  old  Hudson  Bay  Com 
pany  house  on  Montgomery  Street,  which  had  been  used  by 
Howard  &  Mellus  as  a  store,  and  at  that  very  time  they  were 
moving  their  goods  into  a  larger  brick  building  just  completed 
5 


66  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

for  them.  As  these  changes  would  take  some  time,  General 
Smith  and  Colonel  Ogden,  with  their  wives,  accepted  the  hos 
pitality  offered  by  Commodore  Jones  on  board  the  Ohio.  I 
opened  the  office  at  the  custom-house,  and  Gibbs,  Fitzgerald, 
and  some  others  of  us,  slept  in  the  loft  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com 
pany  house  until  the  lower  part  was  cleared  of  Howard's  store, 
after  which  General  Smith  and  the  ladies  moved  in.  There  we 
had  a  general  mess,  and  the  efforts  at  house-keeping  were  simply 
ludicrous.  One  servant  after  another,  whom  General  Smith 
had  brought  from  New  Orleans,  with  a  solemn  promise  to 
stand  by  him  for  one  whole  year,  deserted  without  a  word  of 
notice  or  explanation,  and  in  a  few  days  none  remained  but 
little  Isaac.  The  ladies  had  no  maid  or  attendants ;  and  the 
general,  commanding  all  the  mighty  forces  of  the  United  States 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  had  to  scratch  to  get  one  good  meal  a  day 
for  his  family !  He  was  a  gentleman  of  fine  social  qualities, 
genial  and  gentle,  and  joked  at  every  thing.  Poor  Mrs.  Smith 
and  Mrs.  Ogden  did  not  bear  it  so  philosophically.  Gibbs,  Fitz 
gerald,  and  I,  could  cruise  around  and  find  a  meal,  which  cost 
three  dollars,  at  some  of  the  many  restaurants  which  had  sprung 
up  out  of  red-wood  boards  and  cotton  lining ;  but  the  general 
and  ladies  could  not  go  out,  for  ladies  were  rara  aves  at  that 
day  in  California.  Isaac  was  cook,  chamber-maid,  and  every 
thing,  thoughtless  of  himself,  and  struggling,  out  of  the  slim 
mest  means,  to  compound  a  breakfast  for  a  large  and  hungry 
family.  Breakfast  would  be  announced  any  time  between  ten 
and  twelve,  and  dinner  according  to  circumstances.  Many  a 
time  have  I  seen  General  Smith,  with  a  can  of  preserved  meat 
in  his  hands,  going  toward  the  bouse,  take  off  his  hat  on  meet 
ing  a  negro,  and,  on  being  asked  the  reason  of  his  politeness,  he 
would  answer  that  they  were  the  only  real  gentlemen  in  Cali 
fornia.  I  confess  that  the  fidelity  of  Colonel  Mason's  boy 
"  Aaron,"  and  of  General  Smith's  boy  "  Isaac,"  at  a  time  when 
every  white  man  laughed  at  promises  as  something  made  to  be 
broken,  has  given  me  a  kindly  feeling  of  respect  for  the  negroes, 
and  makes  me  hope  that  they  will  find  an  honorable  "  status  " 
in  the  jumble  of  affairs  in  which  we  now  live.  That  was  a  dull, 


1849-'50.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  67 

hard  winter  in  San  Francisco ;  the  rains  were  heavy,  and  the 
mud  fearful.  I  have  seen  mules  stumble  in  the  street,  and 
drown  in  the  liquid  mud !  Montgomery  Street  had  been  filled 
up  with  brush  and  clay,  and  I  always  dreaded  to  ride  on  horse 
back  along  it,  because  the  mud  was  so  deep  that  a  horse's  legs 
would  become  entangled  in  the  bushes  below,  and  the  rider  was 
likely  to  be  thrown  and  drowned  in  the  mud.  The  only  side 
walks  were  made  of  stepping-stones  of  empty  boxes,  and  here 
and  there  a  few  planks  with  barrel-staves  nailed  on.  All  the 
town  lay  along  Montgomery  Street,  from  Sacramento  to  Jack 
son,  and  about  the  plaza.  Gambling  was  the  chief  occupation 
of  the  people.  While  they  were  waiting  for  the  cessation  of 
the  rainy  season,  and  for  the  beginning  of  spring,  all  sorts  of 
houses  were  being  put  up,  but  of  the  most  flimsy  kind,  and 
all  were  stores,  restaurants,  or  gambling  -  saloons.  Any  room 
twenty  by  sixty  feet  would  rent  for  a  thousand  dollars  a  month. 
I  had,  as  my  pay,  seventy  dollars  a  month,  and  no  one  would 
even  try  to  hire  a  servant  under  three  hundred  dollars.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  fifteen  hundred  dollars  I  had  made  in  the  store 
at  Coloma,  I  could  not  have  lived  through  the  winter.  About 
the  1st  of  April  arrived  the  steamer  Oregon ;  but  her  captain 
(Pearson)  knew  what  was  the  state  of  affairs  on  shore,  and  ran 
his  steamer  alongside  the  line-of-battle-ship  Ohio  at  Saucelito, 
and  obtained  the  privilege  of  leaving  his  crew  on  board  as  "  pris 
oners  "  until  he  was  ready  to  return  to  sea.  Then,  discharging 
his  passengers  and  getting  coal  out  of  some  of  the  ships  which 
had  arrived,  he  retook  his  crew  out  of  limbo  and  carried  the 
first  regular  mail  back  to  Panama  early  in  April.  In  regular 
order  arrived  the  third  steamer,  the  Panama ;  and,  as  the  ves 
sels  were  arriving  with  coal,  the  California  was  enabled  to  hire 
a  crew  and  get  off.  From  that  time  forward  these  three  ships 
constituted  the  regular  line  of  mail-steamers,  which  has  been 
kept  up  ever  since.  By  the  steamer  Oregon  arrived  out  Major 
R.  P.  Hammond,  J.  M.  Williams,  James  Blair,  and  others ;  also 
the  gentlemen  who,  with  Major  Ogden,  were  to  compose  a  joint 
commission  to  select  the  sites  for  the  permanent  forts  and  navy- 
yard  of  California.  This  commission  was  composed  of  Majors 


68  EAKLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'60. 

Ogden,  Smith,  and  Leadbetter,  of  the  army,  and  Captains  Golds- 
borough,  Yan  Brunt,  and  Blunt,  of  the  navy.  These  officers, 
after  a  most  careful  study  of  the  whole  subject,  selected  Mare 
Island  for  the  navy-yard,  and  "  Benicia  "  for  the  storehouses  and 
arsenals  of  the  army.  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company 
also  selected  Benicia  as  their  depot.  Thus  was  again  revived 
the  old  struggle  for  supremacy  of  these  two  points  as  the  site 
of  the  future  city  of  the  -Pacific.  Meantime,  however,  San 
Francisco  had  secured  the  name.  About  six  hundred  ships 
were  anchored  there  without  crews,  and  could  not  get  away ; 
and  there  the  city  was,  and  had  to  be. 

Nevertheless,  General  Smith,  being  disinterested  and  un 
prejudiced,  decided  on  Benicia  as  the  point  where  the  city 
ought  to  be,  and  where  the  army  headquarters  should  be.  By 
the  Oregon  there  arrived  at  San  Francisco  a  man  who  deserves 
mention  here — Baron  Steinberger.  He  had  been  a  great  cattle- 
dealer  in  the  United  States,  and  boasted  that  he  had  helped 
to  break  the  United  States  Bank,  by  being  indebted  to  it  five 
million  dollars !  At  all  events,  he  was  a  splendid  -  looking 
fellow,  and  brought  with  him  from  Washington  a  letter  to 
General  Smith  and  another  for  Commodore  Jones,  to  the  effect 
that  he  was  a  man  of  enlarged  experience  in  beef ;  that  the  au 
thorities  in  Washington  knew  that  there  existed  in  California 
large  herds  of  cattle,  which  were  only  valuable  for  their  hides 
and  tallow  ;  that  it  was  of  great  importance  to  the  Government 
that  this  beef  should  be  cured  and  salted  so  as  to  be  of  use  to 
the  army  and  navy,  obviating  the  necessity  of  shipping  salt- 
beef  around  Cape  Horn.  I  know  he  had  such  a  letter  from  the 
Secretary  of  War,  Marcy,  to  General  Smith,  for  it  passed 
into  my  custody,  and  I  happened  to  be  in  Commodore  Jones's 
cabin  when  the  baron  presented  the  one  for  him  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.  The  baron  was  anxious  to  pitch  in  at 
once,  and  said  that  all  he  needed  to  start  with  were  salt  and  bar 
rels.  After  some  inquiries  of  his  purser,  the  commodore  prom 
ised  to  let  him  have  the  barrels  with  their  salt,  as  fast  as  they 
were  emptied  by  the  crew.  Then  the  baron  explained  that  he 
could  get  a  nice  lot  of  cattle  from  Don  Timoteo  Murphy,  at  the 


1849-'50.]      EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  CALIFOENIA.  69 

Mission  of  San  Rafael,  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay,  but  he  could 
not  get  a  boat  and  crew  to  handle  them.  Under  the  authority 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  the  commodore  then  promised 
him  the  use  of  a  boat  and  crew,  until  he  (the  baron)  could  find 
and  purchase  a  suitable  one  for  himself.  Then  the  baron 
opened  the  first  regular  butcher-shop  in  San  Francisco,  on  the 
wharf  about  the  foot  of  Broadway  or  Pacific  Street,  where  we 
could  buy  at  twenty-five  or  fifty  cents  a  pound  the  best  roasts, 
steaks,  and  cuts  of  beef,  which  had  cost  him  nothing,  for  he 
never  paid  anybody  if  he  could  help  it,  and  he  soon  cleaned 
poor  Don  Timoteo  out.  At  first,  every  boat  of  his,  in  com 
ing  down  from  the  San  Rafael,  touched  at  the  Ohio,  and  left 
the  best  beefsteaks  and  roasts  for  the  commodore,  but  soon 
the  baron  had  enough  money  to  dispense  with  the  borrowed 
boat,  and  set  up  for  himself,  and  from  this  small  beginning, 
step  by  step,  he  rose  in  a  few  months  to  be  one  of  the  richest 
and  most  influential  men  in  San  Francisco ;  but  in  his  wild 
speculations  he  was  at  last  caught,  and  became  helplessly  bank 
rupt.  He  followed  General  Fremont  to  St.  Louis  in  1861, 
where  I  saw  him,  but  soon  afterward  he  died  a  pauper  in  one 
of  the  hospitals.  When  General  Smith  had  his  headquarters 
in  San  Francisco,  in  the  spring  of  1849,  Steinberger  gave 
dinners  worthy  any  baron  of  old ;  and  when,  in  after-years,  I 
was  a  banker  there,  he  used  to  borrow  of  me  small  sums  of 
money  in  repayment  for  my  share  of  these  feasts ;  and  some 
where  among  my  old  packages  I  hold  one  of  his  confidential 
notes  for  two  hundred  dollars,  but  on  the  whole  I  got  off  easily. 
I  have  no  doubt  that,  if  this  man's  history  could  be  written  out, 
it  would  present  phases  as  wonderful  as  any  of  romance ;  but  in 
my  judgment  he  was  a  dangerous  man,  without  any  true  sense 
of  honor  or  honesty. 

Little  by  little  the  rains  of  that  season  grew  less  and  less,  and 
the  hills  once  more  became  green  and  covered  with  flowers.  It 
became  perfectly  evident  that  no  family  could  live  in  San  Fran 
cisco  on  such  a  salary  as  Uncle  Sam  allowed  his  most  favored 
officials ;  so  General  Smith  and  Major  Ogden  concluded  to  send 
their  families  back  to  the  United  States,  and  afterward  we  men- 


70  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

folks  could  take  to  camp  and  live  on  our  rations.  The  Second 
Infantry  had  arrived,  and  had  been  distributed,  four  companies 
to  Monterey,  and  the  rest  somewhat  as  Stevenson's  regiment 
had  been.  A.  J.  Smith's  company  of  dragoons  was  sent  up 
to  Sonoma,  whither  General  Smith  had  resolved  to  move  our 
headquarters.  On  the  steamer  which  sailed  about  May  1st  (I 
think  the  California),  we  embarked,  the  ladies  for  home  and  we 
for  Monterey.  At  Monterey  we  went  on  shore,  and  Colonel 
Mason,  who  meantime  had  been  relieved  by  General  Riley,  went 
on  board,  and  the  steamer  departed  for  Panama.  Of  all  that 
party  I  alone  am  alive. 

General  Biley  had,  with  his  family,  taken  the  house  which 
Colonel  Mason  had  formerly  used,  and  Major  Canby  and  wife 
had  secured  rooms  at  Alvarado's.  Captain  Kane  was  quarter 
master,  and  had  his  family  in  the  house  of  a  man  named  Garner, 
near  the  redoubt.  Burton  and  Company  F  were  still  at  the  fort ; 
the  four  companies  of  the  Second  Infantry  were  quartered  in 
the  barracks,  the  same  building  in  which  we  had  had  our  head 
quarters;  and  the  company  officers  were  quartered  in  hired 
buildings  near  by.  General  Smith  and  his  aide,  Captain  Gibbs, 
went  to  Larkin's  house,  and  I  was  at  my  old  rooms  at  Dona 
Augustias.  As  we  intended  to  go  back  to  San  Francisco  by 
land  and  afterward  to  travel  a  good  deal,  General  Smith  gave 
me  the  necessary  authority  to  fit  out  the  party.  There  happened 
to  be  several  trains  of  horses  and  mules  in  town,  so  I  purchased 
about  a  dozen  horses  and  mules  at  two  hundred  dollars  a  head, 
on  account  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  we  had  them 
kept  under  guard  in  the  quartermaster's  corral. 

I  remember  one  night  being  in  the  quarters  of  Lieutenant 
Alfred  Sully,  where  nearly  all  the  officers  of  the  garrison 
were  assembled,  listening  to  Sully's  stories.  Lieutenant  Derby, 
"  Squibob,"  was  one  of  the  number,  as  also  Fred  Steele,  "  Neigh 
bor  "  Jones,  and  others,  when,  just  after  "  tattoo,"  the  orderly- 
sergeants  came  to  report  the  result  of  "tattoo"  roll-call;  one 
reported  five  men  absent,  another  eight,  and  so  on,  until  it  be 
came  certain  that  twenty-eight  men  had  deserted;  and  they 
were  so  bold  and  open  in  their  behavior  that  it  amounted  to 


1849-'50.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  71 

defiance.  They  had  deliberately  slung  their  knapsacks  and 
started  for  the  gold-mines.  Dr.  Murray  and  I  were  the  only 
ones  present  who  were  familiar  with  the  country,  and  I  ex 
plained  how  easy  they  could  all  be  taken  by  a  party  going 
out  at  once  to  Salinas  Plain,  where  the  country  was  so  open 
and  level  that  a  rabbit  could  not  cross  without  being  seen ; 
that  the  deserters  could  not  go  to  the  mines  without  crossing 
that  plain,  and  could  not  reach  it  before  daylight.  All  agreed 
that  the  whole  regiment  would  desert  if  these  men  were  not 
brought  back.  Several  officers  volunteered  on  the  spot  to  go 
after  them ;  and,  as  the  soldiers  could  not  be  trusted,  it  was 
useless  to  send  any  but  officers  in  pursuit.  Some  one  went  to 
report  the  affair  to  the  adjutant-general,  Canby,  and  he  to  Gen 
eral  Riley.  I  waited  some  time,  and,  as  the  thing  grew  cold, 
I  thought  it  was  given  up,  and  went  to  my  room  and  to  bed. 

About  midnight  I  was  called  up  and  informed  that  there 
were  seven  officers  willing  to  go,  but  the  difficulty  was  to 
get  horses  and  saddles.  I  went  down  to  Larkin's  house  and 
got  General  Smith  to  consent  that  we  might  take  the  horses 
I  had  bought  for  our  trip.  It  was  nearly  three  o'clock  A.  M. 
before  we  were  all  mounted  and  ready.  I  had  a  musket 
which  I  used  for  hunting.  With  this  I  led  off  at  a  canter, 
followed  by  the  others.  About  six  miles  out,  by  the  faint 
moon,  I  saw  ahead  of  us  in  the  sandy  road  some  blue  coats,  and, 
fearing  lest  they  might  resist  or  escape  into  the  dense  bushes 
which  lined  the  road,  I  halted  and  found  with  me  Paymaster 
Hill,  Captain  K.  H.  Davis,  and  Lieutenant  John  Hamilton.  "We 
waited  some  time  for  the  others,  viz.,  Canby,  Murray,  Gibbs, 
and  Sully,  to  come  up,  but  as  they  were  not  in  sight  we  made  a 
dash  up  the  road  and  captured  six  of  the  deserters,  who  were 
Germans,  with  heavy  knapsacks  on,  trudging  along  the  deep, 
sandy  road.  They  had  not  expected  pursuit,  had  not  heard 
our  horses,  and  were  accordingly  easily  taken.  Finding  myself 
the  senior  officer  present,  I  ordered  Lieutenant  Hamilton  to 
search  the  men  and  then  to  march  them  back  to  Monterey,  sus 
pecting,  as  was  the  fact,  that  the  rest  of  our  party  had  taken  a 
road  that  branched  off  a  couple  of  miles  back.  Daylight  broke 


72  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

as  we  reached  the  Salinas  River,  twelve  miles  out,  and  there 
the  trail  was  broad  and  fresh  leading  directly  out  on  the  Salinas 
Plain.  This  plain  is  about  five  miles  wide,  and  then  the  ground 
becomes  somewhat  broken.  The  trail  continued  very  plain,  and 
I  rode  on  at  a  gallop  to  where  there  was  an  old  adobe-ranch  on 
the  left  of  the  road,  with  the  head  of  a  lagoon,  or  pond,  close 
by.  I  saw  one  or  two  of  the  soldiers  getting  water  at  the  pond, 
and  others  up  near  the  house.  I  had  the  best  horse  and  was 
considerably  ahead,  but  on  looking  back  could  see  Hill  and 
Davis  coming  up  behind  at  a  gallop.  I  motioned  to  them  to 
hurry  forward,  and  turned  my  horse  across  the  head  of  the  pond, 
knowing  the  ground  well,  as  it  was  a  favorite  place  for  shooting 
geese  and  ducks.  Approaching  the  house,  I  ordered  the  men 
who  were  outside  to  go  in.  They  did  not  know  me  personally, 
and  exchanged  glances,  but  I  had  my  musket  cocked,  and,  as 
the  two  had  seen  Davis  and  Hill  coming  up  pretty  fast,  they 
obeyed.  Dismounting,  I  found  tie  house  full  of  deserters,  and 
there  was  no  escape  for  them.  They  naturally  supposed  that 
I  had  a  strong  party  with  me,  and  when  I  ordered  them  to 
"  fall  in  "  they  obeyed  from  habit.  By  the  time  Hill  and  Davis 
came  up  I  had  them  formed  in  two  ranks,  the  front  rank  facing 
about,  and  I  was  taking  away  their  bayonets,  pistols,  etc.  We 
disarmed  them,  destroying  a  musket  and  several  pistols,  and,  on 
counting  them,  we  found  that  we  three  had  taken  eighteen, 
which,  added  to  the  six  first  captured,  made  twenty-four.  We 
made  them  sling  their  knapsacks  and  begin  their  homeward  march. 
It  was  near  night  when  we  got  back,  so  that  these  deserters  had 
traveled  nearly  forty  miles  since  "tattoo"  of  the  night  before. 
The  other  party  had  captured  three/  so  that  only  one  man  had 
escaped.  I  doubt  not  this  prevented  the  desertion  of  the  bulk 
of  the  Second  Infantry  that  spring,  for  at  that  time  so  demoral 
izing  was  the  effect  of  the  gold-mines  that  everybody  not  in 
the  military  service  justified  desertion,  because  a  soldier,  if  free, 
could  earn  more  money  in  a  day  than  he  received  per  month. 
Not  only  did  soldiers  and  sailors  desert,  but  captains  and  masters 
of  ships  actually  abandoned  their  vessels  and  cargoes  to  try  their 
luck  at  the  mines.  Preachers  and  professors  forgot  their  creeds 


1849-'50.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  73 

and  took  to  trade,  and  even  to  keeping  gambling-houses.  I  re 
member  that  one  of  our  regular  soldiers,  named  Reese,  in  de 
serting  stole  a  favorite  double-barreled  gun  of  mine,  and  when 
the  orderly-sergeant  of  the  company,  Carson,  was  going  on  fur 
lough,  I  asked  him  when  he  came  across  Reese  to  try  and  get 
my  gun  back.  When  he  returned  he  told  me  that  he  had  found 
Reese  and  offered  him  a  hundred  dollars  for  my  gun,  but  Reese 
sent  me  word  that  he  liked  the  gun,  and  would  not  take  a  hun 
dred  dollars  for  it.  Soldiers  or  sailors  who  could  reach  the 
mines  were  universally  shielded  by  the  miners,  so  that  it  was 
next  to  useless  to  attempt  their  recapture.  In  due  season  Gen 
eral  Persifer  Smith,  Gibbs,  and  I,  with  some  hired  packers, 
started  back  for  San  Francisco,  and  soon  after  we  transferred 
our  headquarters  to  Sonoma.  About  this  time  Major  Joseph 
Hooker  arrived  from  the  East — the  regular  adjutant-general  of 
the  division — relieved  me,  and  I  became  thereafter  one  of  Gen 
eral  Smith's  regular  aides-de-camp. 

As  there  was  very  little  to  do,  General  Smith  encouraged  us 
to  go  into  any  business  that  would  enable  us  to  make  money. 
R.  P.  Hammond,  James  Blair,  and  I,  made  a  contract  to  survey 
for  Colonel  J.  D.  Stevenson  his  newly-projected  city  of  "  New 
York  of  the  Pacific,"  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  San  Joaquin 
River.  The  contract  embraced,  also,  the  making  of  soundings 
and  the  marking  out  of  a  channel  through  Suisun  Bay.  We 
hired,  in  San  Francisco,  a  small  metallic  boat,  with  a  sail,  laid 
in  some  stores,  and  proceeded  to  the  United  States  ship  Ohio, 
anchored  at  Saucelito,  where  we  borrowed  a  sailor -boy  and 
lead-lines  with  which  to  sound  the  channel.  We  sailed  up  to 
Benicia,  and,  at  General  Smith's  request,  we  surveyed  and 
marked  the  line  dividing  the  city  of  Benicia  from  the  govern 
ment  reserve.  We  then  sounded  the  bay  back  and  forth,  and 
staked  out  the  best  channel  up  Suisun  Bay,  from  which  Blair 
made  out  sailing  directions.  We  then  made  the  preliminary 
surveys  of  the  city  of  "  IsTew  York  of  the  Pacific,"  all  of  which 
were  duly  plotted ;  and  for  this  work  we  each  received  from 
Stevenson  five  hundred  dollars  and  ten  or  fifteen  lots.  I  sold 
enough  lots  to  make  up  another  five  hundred  dollars,  and  let 


74:  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

the  balance  go ;  for  the  city  of  "  New  York  of  the  Pacific  " 
never  came  to  any  thing.  Indeed,  cities  at  the  time  were  be 
ing  projected  by  speculators  all  round  the  bay  and  all  over  the 
country. 

While  we  were  surveying  at  "  New  York  of  the  Pacific," 
occurred  one  of  those  little  events  that  showed  the  force  of  the 
gold-fever.  We  had  a  sailor-boy  with  us,  about  seventeen  years 
old,  who  cooked  our  meals  and  helped  work  the  boat.  On  shore, 
we  had  the  sail  spread  so  as  to  shelter  us  against  the  wind  and 
dew.  One  morning  I  awoke  about  daylight,  and  looked  out  to  see 
if  our  sailor-boy  was  at  work  getting  breakfast ;  but  he  was  not 
at  the  fire  at  all.  Getting  up,  I  discovered  that  he  had  converted 
a  tule^bolsa  into  a  sail-boat,  and  was  sailing  for  the  gold-mines. 
He  was  astride  this  lolsa,  with  a  small  parcel  of  bread  and  meat 
done  up  in  a  piece  of  cloth  ;  another  piece  of  cloth,  such  as  we 
used  for  making  our  signal-stations,  he  had  fixed  into  a  sail ;  and 
with  a  paddle  he  was  directing  his  precarious  craft  right  out 
into  the  broad  bay,  to  follow  the  general  direction  of  the  schoon 
ers  and  boats  that  he  knew  were  ascending  the  Sacramento 
River.  He  was  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  shore.  I  jerked 
up  my  gun,  and  hailed  him  to  come  back.  After  a  moment's 
hesitation,  he  let  go  his  sheet  and  began  to  paddle  back.  This 
Tiolsa  was  nothing  but  a  bundle  of  tule,  or  bullrush,  bound  to 
gether  with  grass-ropes  in  the  shape  of  a  cigar,  about  ten  feet 
long  and  about  two  feet  through  the  butt.  "With  these  the  Cal 
ifornia  Indians  cross  streams  of  considerable  size.  When  he 
came  ashore,  I  gave  him  a  good  overhauling  for  attempting 
to  desert,  and  put  him  to  work  getting  breakfast.  In  due  time 
we  returned  him  to  his  ship,  the  Ohio. 

Subsequently,  I  made  a  bargain  with  Mr.  Hartnell  to  survey 
Ms  ranch  at  Cosumnes  River,  Sacramento  Valley.  Ord  and  a 
young  citizen,  named  Seton,  were  associated  with  me  in  this.  I 
bought  of  Rodman  M.  Price  a  surveyor's  compass,  chain,  etc., 
and,  in  San  Francisco,  a  small  wagon  and  harness.  Availing 
ourselves  of  a  schooner,  chartered  to  carry  Major  Miller  and  two 
companies  of  the  Second  Infantry  from  San  Francisco  to  Stock 
ton,  we  got  up  to  our  destination  at  little  cost.  I  recall  an  oc- 


1849-'50.]     EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  75 

currence  tliat  happened  when  the  schooner  was  anchored  in  Car- 
quinez  Straits,  opposite  the  soldiers'  camp  on  shore.  "We  were 
waiting  for  daylight  and  a  fair  wind  ;  the  schooner  lay  anchored 
at  an  ebb-tide,  and  about  daylight  Ord  and  I  had  gone  ashore 
for  something.  Just  as  we  were  pulling  off  from  shore,  we 
heard  the  loud  shouts  of  the  men,  and  saw  them  all  running 
down  toward  the  water.  Our  attention  thus  drawn,  we  saw  some 
thing  swimming  in  the  water,  and  pulled  toward  it,  thinking  it 
a  coyote ;  but  we  soon  recognized  a  large  grizzly  bear,  swimming 
directly  across  the  channel.  Not  having  any  weapon,  we  hur 
riedly  pulled  for  the  schooner,  calling  out,  as  we  neared  it,  "  A 
bear !  a  bear  ! "  It  so  happened  that  Major  Miller  was  on  deck, 
washing  his  face  and  hands.  He  ran  rapidly  to  the  bow  of  the 
vessel,  took  the  musket  from  the  hands  of  the  sentinel,  and  fired 
at  the  bear,  as  he  passed  but  a  short  distance  ahead  of  the  schooner. 
The  bear  rose,  made  a  growl  or  howl,  but  continued  his  course. 
As  we  scrambled  up  the  port-side  to  get  our  guns,  the  mate,  with 
a  crew,  happened  to  have  a  boat  on  the  starboard-side,  and, 
armed  only  with  a  hatchet,  they  pulled  up  alongside  the  bear, 
and  the  mate  struck  him  in  the  head  with  the  hatchet.  The  bear 
turned,  tried  to  get  into  the  boat,  but  the  mate  struck  his  claws 
with  repeated  blows,  and  made  him  let  go.  After  several  passes 
with  him,  the  mate  actually  killed  the  bear,  got  a  rope  round 
him,  and  towed  him  alongside  the  schooner,  where  he  was 
hoisted  on  deck.  The  carcass  weighed  over  six  hundred  pounds. 
It  was  found  that  Major  Miller's  shot  had  struck  the  bear  in  the 
lower  jaw,  and  thus  disabled  him.  Had  it  not  been  for  this, 
the  bear  would  certainly  have  upset  the  boat  and  drowned  all  in 
it.  As  it  was,  however,  his  meat  served  us  a  good  turn  in  our 
trip  up  to  Stockton.  At  Stockton  we  disembarked  our  wagon, 
provisions,  and  instruments. 

There  I  bought  two  fine  mules  at  three  hundred  dollars  each, 
and  we  hitched  up  and  started  for  the  Cosumnes  River.  About 
twelve  miles  ofi  was  the  Mokelumne,  a  wide,  bold  stream,  with 
a  canoe  as  a  ferry-boat.  "We  took  our  wagon  to  pieces,  and  fer 
ried  it  and  its  contents  across,  and  then  drove  our  mules  into  the 
water.  In  crossing,  one  mule  became  entangled  in  the  rope  of 


76  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

the  other,  and  for  a  time  we  thought  he  was  a  gone  mule ;  but 
at  last  he  revived  and  we  hitched  up.  The  mules  were  both 
pack-animals ;  neither  had  ever  before  seen  a  wagon.  Young 
Seton  also  was  about  as  green,  and  had  never  handled  a  mule. 
"We  put  on  the  harness,  and  began  to  hitch  them  in,  when  one 
of  the  mules  turned  his  head,  saw  the  wagon,  and  started.  We 
held  on  tight,  but  the  beast  did  not  stop  until  he  had  shivered 
the  tongue-pole  into  a  dozen  fragments.  The  fact  was,  that 
Seton  had  hitched  the  traces  before  he  had  put  on  the  blind- 
bridle.  There  was  considerable  swearing  done,  but  that  would 
not  mend  the  pole.  There  was  no  place  nearer  than  Sutter's 
Fort  to  repair  damages,  so  we  were  put  to  our  wits'  end.  We 
first  sent  back  a  mile  or  so,  and  bought  a  raw-hide.  Gathering 
up  the  fragments  of  the  pole  and  cutting  the  hide  into  strips,  we 
fished  it  in  the  rudest  manner.  As  long  as  the  hide  was  green, 
the  pole  was  very  shaky ;  but  gradually  the  sun  dried  the  hide, 
tightened  it,  and  the  pole  actually  held  for  about  a  mouth.  This 
cost  us  nearly  a  day  of  delay ;  but,  when  damages  were  repaired, 
we  harnessed  up  again,  and  reached  the  crossing  of  the  Co- 
sumnes,  where  our  survey  was  to  begin.  The  expediente,  or  title- 
papers,  of  the  ranch  described  it  as  containing  nine  or  eleven 
leagues  on  the  Cosumnes,  south  side,  and  between  the  San  Joa- 
quin  River  and  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains.  We  began  at  the 
place  where  the  road  crosses  the  Cosumnes,  and  laid  down  a  line 
four  miles  south,  perpendicular  to  the  general  direction  of  the 
stream  ;  then,  surveying  up  the  stream,  we  marked  each  mile  so 
as  to  admit  of  a  subdivision  of  one  mile  by  four.  The  land  was 
dry  and  very  poor,  with  the  exception  of  here  and  there  some 
small  pieces  of  'bottom-land,  the  great  bulk  of  the  bottom-land 
occurring  on  the  north  side  of  the  stream.  We  continued  the 
survey  up  some  twenty  miles  into  the  hills  above  the  mill  of 
Dailor  and  Sheldon.  It  took  about  a  month  to  make  this  survey, 
which,  when  finished,  was  duly  plotted ;  and  for  it  we  received 
one-tenth  of  the  land,  or  two  subdivisions.  Ord  and  I  took  the 
land,  and  we  paid  Seton  for  his  labor  in  cash.  By  the  sale  of 
my  share  of  the  land,  subsequently,  I  realized  three  thousand 
dollars.  After  finishing  Hartnell's  survey,  we  crossed  over  to 


1849-'50.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTION'S  OF  CALIFORNIA.  If 

Bailor's,  and  did  some  work  for  him  at  five  hundred  dollars  a 
day  for  the  party.  Having  finished  our  work  on  the  Cosumnes, 
we  proceeded  to  Sacramento,  where  Captain  Sutter  employed  us 
to  connect  the  survey  of  Sacramento  City,  made  by  Lieutenant 
Warner,  and  that  of  Sutterville,  three  miles  below,  which  was 
then  being  surveyed  by  Lieutenant  J.  TV.  Davidson,  of  the  First 
Dragoons.  At  Sutterville,  the  plateau  of  the  Sacramento  ap 
proached  quite  near  the  river,  and  it  would  have  made  a  better 
site  for  a  town  than  the  low,  submerged  land  where  the  city  now 
stands ;  but  it  seems  to  be  a  law  of  growth  that  all  natural  ad 
vantages  are  disregarded  wherever  once  business  chooses  a  loca 
tion.  Old  Sutter's  embarcadero  became  Sacramento  City,  simply 
because  it  was  the  first  point  used  for  unloading  boats  for  Sut 
ter's  Fort,  just  as  the  site  for  San  Francisco  was  fixed  by  the  use 
of  Yerba  Buena  as  the  hide-landing  for  the  Mission  of  "  San 
Francisco  de  Asis." 

I  invested  my  earnings  in  this  survey  in  three  lots  in  Sacra 
mento  City,  on  which  I  made  a  fair  profit  by  a  sale  to  one 
McN-ulty,  of  Mansfield,  Ohio.  I  only  had  a  two  months'  leave 
of  absence,  during  which  General  Smith,  his  staff,  and  a  retinue 
of  civil  friends,  were  making  a  tour  of  the  gold-mines,  and 
hearing  that  he  was  en  route  back  to  his  headquarters  at  So 
noma,  I  knocked  off  my  work,  sold  my  instruments,  and  left 
my  wagon  and  mules  with  my  cousin  Charley  Hoyt,  who  had 
a  store  in  Sacramento,  and  was  on  the  point  of  moving  up  to  a 
ranch,  for  which  he  had  bargained,  on  Bear  Creek,  on  which 
was  afterward  established  Camp  "  Far  TVest."  He  afterward 
sold  the  mules,  wagon,  etc.,  for  me,  and  on  the  whole  I  think 
I  cleared,  by  those  two  months'  work,  about  six  thousand  dol 
lars.  I  then  returned  to  headquarters  at  Sonoma,  in  time  to 
attend  my  fellow  aide-de-camp  Gibbs  through  a  long  and  dan 
gerous  sickness,  during  which  he  was  on  board  a  store-ship, 
guarded  by  Captain  George  Johnson,  who  now  resides  in  San 
Francisco.  General  Smith  had  agreed  that  on  the  first  good 
opportunity  he  would  send  me  to  the  United  States  as  a 
bearer  of  dispatches,  but  this  he  could  not  do  until  he  had 
made  the  examination  of  Oregon,  which  was  also  in  his  com- 


78  EAELY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50- 

mand.  During  the  summer  of  1849  there  continued  to  pour 
into  California  a  perfect  stream  of  people.  Steamers  came, 
and  a  line  was  established  from  San  Francisco  to  Sacramento, 
of  which  the  Senator  was  the  pioneer,  charging  sixteen  dollars  a 
passage,  and  actually  coining  money.  Other  boats  were  built, 
out  of  materials  which  had  either  come  around  Cape  Horn  or 
were  brought  from  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Wharves  were  built, 
houses  were  springing  up  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco  presented  as  busy  a  scene  of  life  as  any  part  of  the 
world.  Major  Allen,  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  who 
had  come  out  as  chief-quartermaster  of  the  division,  was  building 
a  large  warehouse  at  Benicia,  with  a  row  of  quarters,  out  of  lum 
ber  at  one  hundred  dollars  per  thousand  feet,  and  the  work  was 
done  by  men  at  sixteen,  dollars  a  day.  I  have  seen  a  detailed 
soldier,  who  got  only  his  monthly  pay  of  eight  dollars  a  month, 
and  twenty  cents  a  day  for  extra  duty,  nailing  on  weather-boards 
and  shingles,  alongside  a  citizen  who  was  paid  sixteen  dollars  a 
day.  This  was  a  real  injustice,  made  the  soldiers  discontented, 
and  it  was  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  that  so  many  deserted. 
While  the  mass  of  people  were  busy  at  gold  and  in  mammoth 
speculations,  a  set  of  busy  politicians  were  at  work  to  secure  the 
prizes  of  civil  government.  Gwin  and  Fremont  were  there, 
and  T.  Butler  King,  of  Georgia,  had  come  out  from  the  East, 
scheming  for  office.  He  staid  with  us  at  Sonoma,  and  was  gen 
erally  regarded  as  the  Government  candidate  for  United  States 
Senator.  General  Riley  as  Governor,  and  Captain  Halleck  as 
Secretary  of  State,  had  issued  a  proclamation  for  the  election  of 
a  convention  to  frame  a  State  constitution.  In  due  time  the 
elections  were  held,  and  the  convention  was  assembled  at  Mon 
terey.  Dr.  Semple  was  elected  president;  and  Gwin,  Fre 
mont,  Halleck,  Butler  King,  Sherwood,  Gilbert,  Shannon,  and 
others,  were  members.  General  Smith  took  no  part  in  this 
convention,  but  sent  me  down  to  watch  the  proceedings,  and 
report  to  him.  The  only  subject  of  interest  was  the  slavery 
question.  There  were  no  slaves  then  in  California,  save  a  few 
who  had  come  out  as  servants,  but  the  Southern  people  at  that 
time  claimed?  their  share  of  territory,  out  of  that  acquired  by 


1849-'50.]      EAKLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  79 

the  common  labors  of  all  sections  of  the  Union  in  the  war  with 
Mexico.  Still,  in  California  there  was  little  feeling  on  the  sub 
ject.  I  never  heard  General  Smith,  who  was  a  Louisianian, 
express  any  opinion  about  it.  Nor  did  Butler  King,  of  Geor 
gia,  ever  manifest  any  particular  interest  in  the  matter.  A 
committee  was  named  to  draft  a  constitution,  which  in  due  time 
was  reported,  with  the  usual  clause,  then  known  as  the  "Wilmot 
Proviso,  excluding  slavery ;  and  during  the  debate  which  ensued 
very  little  opposition  was  made  to  this  clause,  which  was  finally 
adopted  by  a  large  majority,  although  the  convention  was  made 
up  in  large  part  of  men  from  our  Southern  States.  This  mat 
ter  of  California  being  a  free  State,  afterward,  in  the  national 
Congress,  gave  rise  to  angry  debates,  which  at  one  time  threat 
ened  civil  war.  The  result  of  the  convention  was  the  election 
of  State  officers,  and  of  the  Legislature  which  sat  in  San  Jose  in 
October  and  November,  1849,  and  which  elected  Fremont  and 
Gwin  as  the  first  United  States  Senators  in  Congress  from  the 
Pacific  coast. 

Shortly  after  returning  from  Monterey,  I  was  sent  by  Gen 
eral  Smith  up  to  Sacramento  City  to  instruct  Lieutenants  War 
ner  and  Williamson,  of  the  Engineers,  to  push  their  surveys  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
the  possibility  of  passing  that  range  by  a  railroad,  a  subject  that 
then  elicited  universal  interest.  It  was  generally  assumed  that 
such  a  road  could  not  be  made  along  any  of  the  immigrant  roads 
then  in  use,  and  Warner's  orders  were  to  look  farther  north  up 
the  Feather  River,  or  some  one  of  its  tributaries.  Warner  was 
engaged  in  this  survey  during  the  summer  and  fall  of  1849,  and 
had  explored,  to  the  very  end  of  Goose  Lake,  the  source  of  Feath 
er  River.  Then,  leaving  Williamson  with  the  baggage  and  part 
of  the  men,  he  took  about  ten  men  and  a  first-rate  guide, 
crossed  the  summit  to  the  east,  and  had  turned  south,  having 
the  range  of  mountains  on  his  right  hand,  with  the  intention  of 
regaining  his  camp  by  another  pass  in  the  mountain.  The  party 
was  strung  out,  single  file,  with  wide  spaces  between,  Warner 
ahead.  He  had  just  crossed  a  small  valley  and  ascended  one  of 
the  spurs  covered  with  sage-brush  and  rocks,  when  &  band  of  In- 


80  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'60. 

dians  rose  up  and  poured  in  a  shower  of  arrows.  The  mule 
turned  and  ran  back  to  the  valley,  where  "Warner  fell  off  dead, 
punctured  by  five  arrows.  The  mule  also  died.  The  guide, 
who  was  next  to  Warner,  was  mortally  wounded;  and  one 
or  two  men  had  arrows  in  their  bodies,  but  recovered.  The 
party  gathered  about  "Warner's  body,  in  sight  of  the  Indians, 
who  whooped  and  yelled,  but  did  not  venture  away  from  their 
cover  of  rocks.  This  party  of  men  remained  there  all  day  with 
out  burying  the  bodies,  and  at  night,  by  a  wide  circuit,  passed 
the  mountain,  and  reached  Williamson's  camp.  The  news  of 
"Warner's  death  cast  a  gloom  over  all  the  old  Calif ornians,  who 
knew  him  well.  He  was  a  careful,  prudent,  and  honest  officer, 
well  qualified  for  his  business,  and  extremely  accurate  in  all  his 
work.  He  and  I  had  been  intimately  associated  during  our  four 
years  together  in  California,  and  I  felt  his  loss  deeply.  The 
season  was  then  too  far  advanced  to  attempt  to  avenge  his  death, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  next  spring  that  a  party  was  sent  out  to 
gather  up  and  bury  his  scattered  bones. 

As  winter  approached,  the  immigrants  overland  came-  pour 
ing  into  California,  dusty  and  worn  with  their  two  thousand 
miles  of  weary  travel  across  the  plains  and  mountains.  Those 
who  arrived  in  October  and  November  reported  thousands 
still  behind  them,  with  oxen  perishing,  and  short  of  food. 
Appeals  were  made  for  help,  and  General  Smith  resolved  to  at 
tempt  relief.  Major  Rucker,  who  had  come  across  with  Pike 
Graham's  Battalion  of  Dragoons,  had  exchanged  with  Major 
Fitzgerald,  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  was  de 
tailed  to  conduct  this  relief.  General  Smith  ordered  him  to 
be  supplied  with  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  out  of  the  civil 
fund,  subject  to  his  control,  and  with  this  to  purchase  at  Sac 
ramento  flour,  bacon,  etc.,  and  to  hire  men  and  mules  to  send 
out  and  meet  the  immigrants.  Major  Rucker  fulfilled  this  duty 
perfectly,  sending  out  pack-trains  loaded  with  food  by  the  many 
routes  by  which  the  immigrants  were  known  to  be  approaching, 
went  out  himself  with  one  of  these  trains,  and  remained  in  the 
mountains  until  the  last  immigrant  had  got  in.  Ko  doubt  this 
expedition  saved  many  a  life  which  has  since  been  most  useful 


1849-'50.]      EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  81 

to  the  country.  I  remained  at  Sacramento  a  good  part  of'  the 
fall  of  1849,  recognizing  among  the  immigrants  many  of  my  old 
personal  friends — John  0.  Fall,  William  King,  Sam  Stambaugh, 
Hugh  Ewing,  Hampton  Denman,  etc.  I  got  Rucker  to  give 
these  last  two  employment  along  with  the  train  for  the  relief  of 
the  immigrants.  They  had  proposed  to  begin  a  ranch  on  my 
land  on  the  Cosumnes,  but  afterward  changed  their  minds,  and 
went  out  with  Rucker. 

"While  I -was  at  Sacramento  General  Smith  had  gone  on  his 
contemplated  trip  to  Oregon,  and  promised  that  he  would  be  back 
in  December,  when  he  would  send  me  home  with  dispatches. 
Accordingly,  as  the  winter  and  rainy  season  was  at  hand,  I  went 
to  San  Francisco,  and  spent  some  time  at  the  Presidio,  waiting 
patiently  for  General  Smith's  return.  About  Christmas  a  vessel 
arrived  from  Oregon  with  the  dispatches,  and  an  order  for  me  to 
deliver  them  in  person  to  General  Winfield  Scott,  in  New  York 
City.  General  Smith  had  sent  them  down,  remaining  in  Oregon 
for  a  time.  Of  course  I  was  all  ready,  and  others  of  our  set  were 
going  home  by  the  same  conveyance,  viz.,  Rucker,  Ord,  A.  J. 
Smith — some  under  orders,  and  the  others  on  leave.  "Wanting 
to  see  my  old  friends  in  Monterey,  I  arranged  for  my  passage  in 
the  steamer  of  January  1,  1850,  paying  six  hundred  dollars  for 
passage  to  New  York,  and  went  down  to  Monterey  by  land, 
Rucker  accompanying  ine.  The  weather  was  unusually  rainy, 
and  all  the  plain  about  Santa  Clara  was  under  water ;  but  we 
reached  Monterey  in  time.  I  again  was  welcomed  by  my  friends, 
Dona  Augustias,  Manuelita,  and  the  family,  and  it  was  resolved 
that  I  should  take  two  of  the  boys  home  with  me  and  put  them  at 
Georgetown  College  for  education,  viz.,  Antonio  and  Porfirio, 
thirteen  and  eleven  years  old.  The  dona  gave  me  a  bag  of  gold- 
dust  to  pay  for  their  passage  and  to  deposit  at  the  college.  On 
the  2d  day  of  January  punctually  appeared  the  steamer  Oregon. 
We  were  all  soon  on  board  and  off  for  home.  At  that  tune  the 
steamers  touched  at  San  Diego,  Acapulco,  and  Panama.  Our 
passage  down  the  coast  was  unusually  pleasant.  Arrived  at 
Panama,  we  hired  mules  and  rode  across  to  Gorgona,  on  the 
Cruces  River,  where  we  hired  a  boat  and  paddled  down  to  the 
6 


82  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA.      [1849-'50. 

mouth  of  the  river,  off  which  lay  the  steamer  Crescent  City. 
It  usually  took  four  days  to  cross  the  isthmus,  every  passenger 
taking  care  of  himself,  and  it  was  really  funny  to  watch  the 
efforts  of  women  and  men  unaccustomed  to  mules.  It  was  an 
old  song  to  us,  and  the  trip  across  was  easy  and  interesting.  In 
due  time  we  were  rowed  off  to  the  Crescent  City,  rolling  back 
and  forth  in  the  swell,  and  we  scrambled  aboard  by  a  "  Jacob's 
ladder  "  from  the  stern.  Some  of  the  women  had  to  be  hoisted 
aboard  by  lowering  a  tub  from  the  end  of  a  boom ;  fun  to  us 
who  looked  on,  but  awkward  enough  to  the  poor  women,  es 
pecially  to  a  very  fat  one,  who  attracted  much  notice.  General 
Fremont,  wife  and  child  (Lillie)  were  passengers  with  us  down 
from  San  Francisco ;  but  Mrs.  Fremont  not  being  well,  they  re 
mained  over  one  trip  at  Panama. 

Senator  Gwin  was  one  of  our  passengers,  and  went  through 
to  New  York.  We  reached  New  York  about  the  close  of  Jan 
uary,  after  a  safe  and  pleasant  trip.  Our  party,  composed  of 
.  Ord,  A.  J.  Smith,  and  Rucker,  with  the  two  boys,  Antonio  and 
Porfirio,  put  up  at  Delmonico's,  on  Bowling  Green ;  and,  as 
soon  as  we  had  cleaned  up  somewhat,  I  took  a  carriage,  went  to 
General  Scott's  office  in  Ninth  Street,  delivered  my  dispatches, 
was  ordered  to  dine  with  him  next  day,  and  then  went  forth  to 
hunt  up  my  old  friends  and  relations,  the  Scotts,  Hoyts,  etc.,  etc. 

On  reaching  New  York,  most  of  us  had  rough  soldier's  cloth 
ing,  but  we  soon  got  a  new  outfit,  and  I  dined  with  General 
Scott's  family,  Mrs.  Scott  being  present,  and  also  their  son-in- 
law  and  daughter  (Colonel  and  Mrs.  H.  L.  Scott).  The  general 
questioned  me  pretty  closely  in  regard  to  things  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  especially  the  politics,  and  startled  me  with  the  asser 
tion  that  "  our  country  was  on  the  eve  of  a  terrible  civil  war." 
He  interested  me  by  anecdotes  of  my  old  army  comrades  in 
his  recent  battles  around  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  I  felt  deeply 
the  fact  that  our  country  had  passed  through  a  foreign  war, 
that  my  comrades  had  fought  great  battles,  and  yet  I  had  not 
heard  a  hostile  shot.  Of  course,  I  thought  it  the  last  and  only 
chance  in  my  day,  and  that  my  career  as  a  soldier  was  at  an  end. 
After  some  four  or  five  days  spent  in  New  York,  I  was,  by 


1849-'50.]     EAELY  EECOLLECTIONS  OF  CALIFOKNIA.  83 

an  order  of  General  Scott,  sent  to  Washington,  to  lay  "before 
the  Secretary  of  "War  (Crawford,  of  Georgia)  the  dispatches 
which  I  had  brought  from  California.  On  reaching  Wash 
ington,  I  found  that  Mr.  Ewing  was  Secretary  of  the  Interior, 
and  I  at  once  became  a  member  of  his  family.  The  family 
occupied  the  house  of  Mr.  Blair,  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
directly  in  front  of  the  War  Department.  I  immediately  re 
paired  to  the  War  Department,  and  placed  my  dispatches  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Crawford,  who  questioned  me  somewhat  about 
California,  but  seemed  little  interested  in  the  subject,  except  so 
far  as  it  related  to  slavery  and  the  routes  through  Texas.  I  then 
went  to  call  on  the  President  at  the  White  House.  I  found  Major 
Bliss,  who  had  been  my  teacher  in  mathematics  at  West  Point, 
and  was  then  General  Taylor's  son-in-law  and  private  secretary. 
He  took  me  into  the  room,  now  used  by  the  President's  private 
secretaries,  where  President  Taylor  was.  I  had  never  seen  him 
before,  though  I  had  served  under  him  in  Florida  in  1840-'41, 
and  was  most  agreeably  surprised  at  his  fine  personal  appear 
ance,  and  his  pleasant,  easy  manners.  He  received  me  with 
great  kindness,  told  me  that  Colonel  Mason  had  mentioned  my 
name  with  praise,  and  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  do  me  any  act 
of  favor.  We  were  with  him  nearly  an  hour,  talking  about  Cali 
fornia  generally,  and  of  his  personal  friends,  Persifer  Smith, 
Eiley,  Canby,  and  others.  Although  General  Scott  was  gener 
ally  regarded  by  the  army  as  the  most  accomplished  soldier  of 
the  Mexican  War,  yet  General  Taylor  had  that  blunt,  honest, 
and  stern  character,  that  endeared  him  to  the  masses  of  the  peo 
ple,  and  made  him  President.  Bliss,  too,  had  gained  a  large 
fame  by  his  marked  skill  and  intelligence  as  an  adjutant-general 
and  military  adviser.  His  manner  was  very  unmilitary,  and  in 
his  talk  he  stammered  and  hesitated,  so  as  to  make  an  unfavor 
able  impression  on  a  stranger ;  but  he  was  wonderfully  accurate 
and  skillful  with  his  pen,  and  his  orders  and  letters  form  a 
model  of  military  precision  and  clearness. 


CHAPTEE   III. 

MISSOURI,   LOUISIANA,   AND   CALIFORNIA. 

1850-1855. 

HAVING  returned  from  California  in  January,  1850,  with 
dispatches  for  the  War  Department,  and  having  delivered 
them  in  person  first  to  General  Scott  in  ]STew  York  City,  and 
afterward  to  the  Secretary  of  War  (Crawford)  in  Washington 
City,  I  applied  for  and  received  a  leave  of  absence  for  six 
months.  I  first  visited  my  mother,  then  living  at  Mansfield, 
Ohio,  and  returned  to  Washington,  where,  on  the  1st  day  of 
May,  1850, 1  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Eoyle  Ewing,  daughter 
of  the  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing,  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  The 
marriage  ceremony  was  attended  by  a  large  and  distinguished 
company,  embracing  Daniel  Webster,  Henry  Clay,  T.  H.  Benton, 
President  Taylor,  and  all  his  cabinet.  This  occurred  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Ewing,  the  same  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr. 
F.  P.  Blair,  senior,  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  opposite  the  War 
Department.  We  made  a  wedding-tour  to  Baltimore,  New 
York,  Niagara,  and  Ohio,  and  returned  to  Washington  by  the 
1st  of  July.  General  Taylor  participated  in  the  celebration  of 
the  Fourth  of  July,  a  very  hot  day,  by  hearing  a  long  speech 
from  the  Hon.  Henry  S.  Foote,  at  the  base  of  the  Washington 
Monument.  Returning  from  the  celebration  much  heated  and 
fatigued,  he  partook  too  freely  of  his  favorite  iced  milk  with 
cherries,  and  during  that  night  was  seized  with  a  severe  colic, 
which  by  morning  had  quite  prostrated  him.  It  was  said  that 
he  sent  for  his  son-in-law,  Surgeon  Wood,  United  States  Army, 
stationed  in  Baltimore,  and  declined  medical  assistance  from 


1850-'55.]         MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  85 

anybody  else.  Mr.  Ewing  visited  him  several  times,  and  was 
manifestly  uneasy  and  anxious,  as  was  also  his  son-in-law,  Ma 
jor  Bliss,  then  of  the  army,  and  his  confidential  secretary.  He 
rapidly  grew  worse,  and  died  in  about  four  days. 

At  that  time  there  was  a  high  state  of  political  feeling  per 
vading  the  country,  on  account  of  the  questions  growing  out  of 
the  new  Territories  just  acquired  from  Mexico  by  the  war. 
Congress  was  in  session,  and  General  Taylor's  sudden  death 
evidently  created  great  alarm.  I  was  present  in  the  Senate-gal 
lery,  and  saw  the  oath  of  office  administered  to  the  Vice-Presi- 
clent,  Mr.  Fillmore,  a  man  of  splendid  physical  proportions  and 
commanding  appearance ;  but  on  the  faces  of  Senators  and  peo 
ple  could  easily  be  read  the  feelings  of  doubt  and  uncertainty 
that  prevailed.  All  knew  that  a  change  in  the  cabinet  and 
general  policy  was  likely  to  result,  but  at '  the  time  it  was  sup 
posed  that  Mr.  Fillmore,  whose  home  was  in  Buffalo,  would  be 
less  liberal  than  General  Taylor  to  the  politicians  of  the  South, 
who  feared,  or  pretended  to  fear,  a  crusade  against  slavery ;  or, 
as  was  the  political  cry  of  the  day,  that  slavery  would  be  prohib 
ited  in  the  Territories  and  in  the  places  exclusively  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  Events,  however,  proved  the 
contrary. 

I  attended  General  Taylor's  funeral  as  a  sort  of  aide-de 
camp,  at  the  request  of  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  army,  Roger 
Jones,  whose  brother,  a  militia-general,  commanded  the  escort, 
composed  of  militia  and  some  regulars.  Among  the  regulars  I 
recall  the  names  of  Captains  John  Sedgwick  and  ~W.  F.  Barry. 

Hardly  was  General  Taylor  decently  buried  in  the  Congres 
sional  Cemetery  when  the  political  struggle  recommenced,  and 
it  became  manifest  that  Mr.  Fillmore  favored  the  general  com 
promise  then  known  as  Henry  Clay's  "  Omnibus  Bill,"  and  that 
a  general  change  of  cabinet  would  at  once  occur.  Webster  was 
to  succeed  Mr.  Clayton  as  Secretary  of  State,  Corwin  to  succeed 
Mr.  Meredith  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  A.  H.  H.  Stuart 
to  succeed  Mr.  Ewing  as  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  Mr.  Ewing, 
however,  was  immediately  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  the 
State  to  succeed  Corwin  in  the  Senate.  These  changes  made  it 


86  MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,  CALIFORNIA.         [1850-'55. 

necessary  for  Mr.  Ewing  to  discontinue  house-keeping,  and  Mr. 
Corwin  took  his  house  -and  furniture  off  his  hands.  I  escorted 
the  family  out  to  their  home  in  Lancaster,  Ohio ;  but,  before 
this  had  occurred,  some  most  interesting  debates  took  place  in 
the  Senate,  which  I  regularly  attended,  and  heard  Clay,  Benton, 
Foote,  King  of  Alabama,  Dayton,  and  the  many  real  orators  of 
that  day.  Mr.  Calhoun  was  in  his  seat,  but  he  was  evidently  ap 
proaching  his  end,  for  he  was  pale  and  feeble  in  the  extreme.  I 
heard  Mr.  "Webster's  last  speech  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate, 
under  circumstances  that  warrant  a  description.  It  was  publicly 
known  that  he  wasjto  leave  the  Senate,  and  enter  the  new  cab 
inet  of  Mr.  Fillmore,  as  his  Secretary  of  State,  and  that  prior 
to  leaving  he  was  to  make  a  great  speech  on  the  "  Omnibus 
Bill."  Resolved  to  hear  it,  I  went  up  to  the  Capitol  on  the  day 
named,  an  hour  or  so  earlier  than  usual.  The  speech  was  to  be 
delivered  in  the  old  Senate-chamber,  now  used  by  the  Supreme 
Court.  The  galleries  were  much  smaller  than  at  present,  and  I 
found  them  full  to  overflowing,  with  a  dense  crowd  about  the 
door,  struggling  to  reach  the  stairs.  I  could  not  get  near,  and 
then  tried  the  reporters'  gallery,  but  found  it  equally  crowded ; 
so  I  feared  I  should  lose  the  only  possible  opportunity  to  hear 
Mr.  Webster. 

I  had  only  a  limited  personal  acquaintance  with  any  of  the 
Senators,  but  had  met  Mr.  Gorwin  quite  often  at  Mr.  E  wing's 
house,  and  I  also  knew  that  he  had  been  extremely  friendly 
to  my  father  in  his  lifetime ;  so  I  ventured  to  send  in  to  him 
my  card,  ""W.  T.  S.,  First-Lieutenant,  Third  Artillery."  He 
came  to  the  door  promptly,  when  I  said,  "Mr.  Corwin,  I  be 
lieve  Mr.  "Webster  is  to  speak  to-day."  .His  answer  was,  "  Yes, 
he  has  the  floor  at  one  o'clock."  I  then  added  that  I  was  ex 
tremely  anxious  to  hear  him.  "  "Well,"  said  he,  "  why  don't  you 
go  into  the  gallery  ? "  I  explained  that  it  was  full,  and  I  had 
tried  every  access,  but  found  all  jammed  with  people.  "  Well," 
said  he,  "  what  do  you  want  of  me  ? "  I  explained  that  I  would 
like  him  to  take  me  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate ;  that  I  had  often 
seen  from  the  gallery  persons  on  the  floor,  no  better  entitled  to 
it  than  I.  He  then  asked  in  his  quizzical  way,  "Are  you  a 


1850-'55.]         MISSOUKI,  LOUISIANA,  CALIFOE^IA,  87 

foreign  ambassador  ? "  "  No."  "  Are  yon  the  Governor  of  a 
State  ? "  "  No."  "  Are  you  a  member  of  the  other  House  ? " 
"  Certainly  not."  "  Have  you  ever  had  a  vote  of  thanks  by 
name  2 "  "  No."  "  Well,  these  are  the  only  privileged  mem 
bers."  I  then  told  him  he  knew  well  enough  who  I  was,  and 
that  if  he  chose  he  could  take  me  in.  He  then  said,  "Have 
you  any  impudence  1 "  I  told  him,  "  A  reasonable  amount  if 
occasion  called  for  it."  "  Do  you  think  you  could  become  so 
interested  in  my  conversation  as  not  to  notice  the  door-keeper?" 
(pointing  to  him).  I  told  him  that  there  was  not  the  least  doubt 
of  it,  if  he  would  tell  me  one  of  his  funny  stories.  He  then  took 
my  arm,  and  led  me  a  turn  in  the  vestibule,  talking  about  some  in 
different  matter,  but  all  the  time  directing  my  looks  to  his  left 
hand,  toward  which  he  was  gesticulating  with  his  right ;  and  thus 
we  approached  the  door-keeper,  who  began  asking  me,  "  Foreign 
embassador?  Governor  of  a  State?  Member  of  Congress?" 
etc.;  but  I  caught  Corwin's •  eye,  which  said  plainly,  "Don't 
mind  him,'  pay  attention  to  me,"  and  in  this  way  we  entered  the 
Senate-chamber  by  a  side-door.  Once  in,  Corwin  said,  "Now 
you  can  take  care  of  yourself,"  and  I  thanked  him  cordially. 
I  found  a  seat  close  behind  Mr.  "Webster,  and  near  General 
Scott,  and  heard  the  whole  of  the  speech.  It  was  heavy  in  the 
extreme,  and  I  confess  that  I  was  disappointed  and  tired  long 
before  it  was  finished.  No  doubt  the  speech  was  full  of  fact 
and  argument,  but  it  had  none  of  the  fire  of  oratory,  or  intensity 
of  feeling,  that  marked  all  of  Mr.  Clay's  efforts. 

Toward  the  end  of  July,  as  before  stated,  all  the  family  went 
home  to  Lancaster.  Congress  was  still  in  session,  and  the  bill 
adding  four  captains  to  the  Commissary  Department  had  not 
passed,  but  was  reasonably  certain  to,  and  I  was  equally  sure  of 
being  one  of  them.  At  that  time  my  name  was  on  the  mus 
ter-roll  of  (Light)  Company  C,  Third  Artillery  (Bragg's),  sta 
tioned  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  near  St.  Louis.  But,  as  there 
was  cholera  at  St.  Louis,  on  application,  I  was  permitted  to 
delay  joining  my  company  until  September.  Early  in  that 
month,  I  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  and  thence  by  steamboat  to 
St.  Louis,  and  then  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  where  I  reported 


88  MISSOUKI,  LOUISIANA,  CALIFORNIA.          [1860-'65. 

for  duty  to  Captain  and  Brevet-Colonel  Braxton  Bragg,  com 
manding  (Light)  Company  C,  Third  Artillery.  The  other  offi 
cers  of  the  company  were  First-Lieutenant  Hackaliah  Brown 
and  Second-Lieutenant  James  A.  Hardie.  I^Tew  horses  had  just 
been  purchased  for  the  battery,  and  we  were  preparing  for  work, 
when  the  mail  brought  the  orders  announcing  the  passage  of  the 
bill  increasing  the  Commissary  Department  by  four  captains,  to 
which  were  promoted  Captains  Shiras,  Blair,  Sherman,  and 
Bowen.  I  was  ordered  to  take  post  at  St.  Louis,  and  to  relieve 
Captain  A.  J.  Smith,  First  Dragoons,  who  had  been  acting  in 
that  capacity  for  some  months.  My  commission  bore  date 
September  27, 1S50.  I  proceeded  forthwith  to  the  city,  relieved 
Captain  Smith,  and  entered  on  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
the  office. 

Colonel  K.  S.  Clarke,  Sixth  Infantry,  commanded  the  de 
partment  ;  Major  D.  C.  Buell  was  adjutant-general,  and  Captain 
"W.  S.  Hancock  was  regimental  quartermaster;  Colonel  Thomas 
Swords  was  the  depot  quartermaster,  and  we  had  our  offices  in 
the  same  building,  on  the  corner,  of  Washington  Avenue  and 
Second.  Subsequently  Major  S.  Yan  Yliet  relieved  Colonel 
Swords.  I  remained  at  the  Planters'  House  until  my  family 
arrived,  when  we  occupied  a  house  on  Chouteau  Avenue,  near 
Twelfth. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  1851,  Mr.  Ewing  and  Mr. 
Henry  Stoddard,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  a  cousin  of  my  father,  were 
much  in  St.  Louis,  on  business  connected  with  the  estate  of 
Major  Amos  Stoddard,  who  was  of  the  old  army,  as  early  as  the 
beginning  of  this  century.  He  was  stationed  at  the  village  of 
St.  Louis  at  the  time  of  the  Louisiana  purchase,  and  when  Lewis 
and  Clarke  made  their  famous  expedition  across  the  continent 
to  the  Columbia  Eiver.  Major  Stoddard  at  that  early  day  had 
purchased  a  small  farm  back  of  the  village,  of  some  Spaniard 
or  Frenchman,  but,  as  he  was  a  bachelor,  and  was  killed  at 
Fort  Meigs,  Ohio,  during  the  "War  of  1812,  the  title  was  for 
many  years  lost  sight  of,  and  the  farm  was  covered  over  by 
other  claims  and  by  occupants.  As  St.  Louis  began  to  grow,  his 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  their  descendants,  concluded  to  look  up 


1850-'55.]         MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,  CALIFORNIA.  89 

the  property.  After  much  and  fruitless  litigation,  they  at  last 
retained  Mr.  Stoddard,  of  Dayton,  who  in  turn  employed  Mr. 
Ewing,  and  these,  after  many  years  of  labor,  established  the  title, 
and  in  the  summer  of  1851  they  were  put  in  possession  by  the 
United  States  marshal.  The  ground  was  laid  off,  the  city  sur 
vey  extended  over  it,  and  the  whole  was  sold  in  partition.  I 
made  some  purchases,  and  acquired  an  interest,  which  I  have  re 
tained  more  or  less  ever  since. 

We  continued  to  reside  in  St.  Louis  throughout  the  year 
1851,  and  in  the  spring  of  1852  I  had  occasion  to  visit  Fort 
Leavenworth  on  duty,  partly  to  inspect  a  lot  of  cattle  which  a 
Mr.  Gordon,  of  Cass  County,  had  contracted  to  deliver  in  New 
Mexico,  to  enable  Colonel  Sumner  to  attempt  his  scheme  of 
making  the  soldiers  in  New  Mexico  self-supporting,  by  raising 
their  own  meat,  and  in  a  measure  their  own  vegetables.  I  found 
Fort  Leavenworth  then,  as  now,  a  most  beautiful' spot,  but  in  the 
midst  of-  a  wild  Indian  country.  There  were  no  whites  settled 
in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Kansas.  Weston,  in  Missouri,  was 
the  great  town,  and  speculation  in  town-lots  there  and  there 
about  burnt  the  fingers  of  some  of  the  army-officers,  who 
wanted  to  plant  their  scanty  dollars  in  a  fruitful  soil.  I  rode 
on  horseback  over  to  Gordon's  farm,  saw  the  cattle,  concluded 
the  bargain,  and  returned  by  way  of  Independence,  Missouri. 
At  Independence  I  found  F.  X.  Aubrey,  a  noted  man  of  that 
day,  who  had  just  made  a  celebrated  ride  of  six  hundred  miles 
in  six  days.  That  spring  the  United  States  quartermaster, 
Major  L.  C;  Easton,  at  Fort  Union,  New  Mexico,  had  occasion 
to  send  some  message  east  by  a  certain  date,  and  contracted 
with  Aubrey  to  carry  it  to  the  nearest  post-office  (then  Inde 
pendence,  Missouri),  making  his  compensation  conditional  on 
the  time  consumed.  He  was  supplied  with  a  good  horse, 
and  an  order  on  the  outgoing  trains  for  an  exchange.  Though 
the  whole  route  was  infested  with  hostile  Indians,  and  not 
a  house  on  it,  Aubrey  started  alone  with  his  rifle.  He  was 
fortunate  in  meeting  several  outward-bound  trains,  and  there 
by  made  frequent  changes  of  horses,  some  four  or  five,  and 
reached  Independence  in  six  days,  having  hardly  rested  or  slept 


90  MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFOKNIA.          [1850-'55. 

the  whole  way.  Of  course,  he  was  extremely  fatigued,  and  said 
there  was  an  opinion  among  the  wild  Indians  that  if  a  man 
"  sleeps  out  his  sleep,"  after  such  extreme  exhaustion,  he  will 
never  awake;  and,  accordingly,  he  instructed  his  landlord  to 
wake  him  up  after  eight  hours  of  sleep.  When  aroused  at 
last,  he  saw  by  the  clock  that  he  had  been  asleep  twenty  hours, 
and  he  was  dreadfully  angry,  threatened  to  murder  his  landlord, 
who  protested  he  had  tried  in  every  way  to  get  him  up,  but 
found  it  impossible,  and  had  let  him  "  sleep  it  out."  Aubrey, 
in  describing  his  sensations  to  me,  said  he  took  it  for  granted 
he  was  a  dead  man ;  but  in  fact  he  sustained  no  ill  effects,  and 
was  off  again  in  a  few  days.  I  met  him  afterward  often  in 
California,  and  always  esteemed  him  one  of  the  best  samples  of 
that  bold  race  of  men  who  had  grown  up  on  the  Plains,  along 
with  the  Indians,  in  the  service  of  the  fur  companies.  He  was 
afterward,  in  1856,  killed  by  R.  C.  Weightman,  in  a  bar-room 
row,  at  Taos,  New  Mexico,  where  he  had  just  arrived  from 
California. 

In  going  from  Independence  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  I  had  to 
swim  Milk  Creek,  and  sleep  all  night  in  a  Shawnee  camp.  The 
next  day  I  crossed  the  Kaw  or  Kansas  River  in  a  ferry-boat, 
maintained  by  the  blacksmith  of  the  tribe,  and  reached  the 
fort  in  the  evening.  At  that  day  the  whole  region  was  un 
settled,  where  now  exist  many  rich  counties,  highly  cultivated, 
embracing  several  cities  of  from  ten  to  forty  thousand  in 
habitants.  From  Fort  Leavenworth  I  returned  by  steamboat  to 
St.  Louis. 

In  the  summer  of  1852,  my  family  went  to  Lancaster, 
Ohio ;  but  I  remained  at  my  post.  Late  in  the  season,  it 
was  'rumored  that  I  was  to  be  transferred  to  New  Orleans, 
and  in  due  time  I  learned  the  cause.  During  a  part  of  the 
Mexican  War,  Major  Seawell,  of  the  Seventh  Infantry,  had 
been  acting  commissary  of  subsistence  at  New  Orleans,  then 
the  great  depot  of  supplies  for  the  troops  in  Texas,  and  of 
those  operating  beyond  the  Rio  Grande.  Commissaries  at 
that  time  were  allowed  to  purchase  in  open  market,  and  were 
not  restricted  to  advertising  and  awarding  contracts  to  the 


1850-'55.]         MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  91 

lowest  bidders.  It  was  reported  that  Major  Seawell  had  pur 
chased  largely  of  the  house  of  Perry  Seawell  &  Co.,  Mr.  Sea- 
well  being  a  relative  of  his.  "When  he  was  relieved  in  his 
duties  by  Major  "Waggaman,  of  the  regular  Commissary  Depart 
ment,  the  latter  found  Perry  Seawell  &  Co.  so  prompt  and 
satisfactory  that  he  continued  the  patronage ;  for  which  there 
was  a  good  reason,  because  stores  for  the  use  of  the  troops  at  re 
mote  posts  had  to  be  packed  in  a  particular  way,  to  bear  trans 
portation  in  wagons,  or  even  on  pack-mules ;  and  this  firm  had 
made  extraordinary  preparations  for  this  exclusive  purpose. 
Some  time  about  1849,  a  brother  of  Major  "Waggaman,  who  had 
been  clerk  to  Captain  Casey,  commissary  of  subsistence,  at  Tam 
pa  Bay,  Florida,  was  thrown  out  of  office  by  the  death  of  the 
captain,,  and  he  naturally  applied  to  his  brother  in  New  Orleans 
for  employment ;  and  he,  in  turn,  referred  him  to  his  friends, 
Messrs.  Perry  Seawell  &  Co.  These  first  employed  him  as  a 
clerk,  and  afterward  admitted  him  as  a  partner.  Thus  it  re 
sulted,  in  fact,  that  Major  "Waggaman  was  dealing  largely,  if  not 
exclusively,  with  a  firm  of  which  his  brother  was  a  partner. 

One  day,  as  General  Twiggs  was  coming  across  Lake  Pont- 
chartrain,  he  fell  in  with  one  of  his  old  cronies,  who  was  an 
extensive  grocer.  This  gentleman  gradually  led  the  conversation 
to  the  downward  tendency  of  the  times  since  he  and  Twiggs 
were  young,  saying  that,  in  former  years,  all  the  merchants  of 
New  Orleans  had  a  chance  at  government  patronage ;  but  now, 
in  order  to  sell  to  the  army  commissary,  one  had  to  take  a 
brother  in  as  a  partner.  General  Twiggs  resented  this,  but  the 
merchant  again  affirmed  it,  and  gave  names.  As  soon  as  General 
Twiggs  reached  his  office,  he  instructed  his  adjutant-general, 
Colonel  Bliss — who  told  me  this — to  address  a  categorical  note 
of  inquiry  to  Major  "Waggaman.  The  major  very  frankly  stated 
the  facts  as  they  had  arisen,  and  insisted  that  the  firm  of  Perry 
Seawell  &  Co.  had  enjoyed  a  large  patronage,  but  deserved  it 
richly  by  reason  of  their  promptness,  fairness,  and  fidelity.  The 
correspondence  was  sent  to  "Washington,  and  the  result  was,  that 
Major  "Waggaman  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis,  and  I  was  ordered 
to  New  Orleans. 


92  MISSOUKI,  LOUISIANA,  CALIFORNIA.          [1850-'55. 

I  went  down  to  New  Orleans  in  a  steamboat  in  the  month  of 
September,  1852,  taking  with  me  a  clerk,  and,  on  arrival,  as 
sumed  the  office,  in  a  bank-building  facing  Lafayette  Square,  in 
which  were  the  offices  of  all  the  army  departments.  General 
D.  Twiggs  was  in  command  of  the  department,  with  Colonel  "W. 
"W.  S.  Bliss  (son-in-law  of  General  Taylor)  as  his  adjutant-gen 
eral.  Colonel  A.  C.  Myers  was  quartermaster,  Captain  John  F. 
Reynolds  aide-de-camp,  and  Colonel  A.  J.  Coffee  paymaster.  I 
took  rooms  at  the  St.  Louis  Hotel,  kept  by  a  most  excellent 
gentleman,  Colonel  Mudge. 

Mr.  Perry  Seawell  came  to  me  in  person,  soliciting  a  contin 
uance  of  the  custom  which  he  had  theretofore  enjoyed;  but  I 
told  him  frankly  that  a  change  was  necessary,  and  I  never  saw 
or  heard  of  him  afterward.  I  simply  purchased  in  open  market, 
arranged  for  the  proper  packing  of  the  stores,  and  had  not  the 
least  difficulty  in  supplying  the  troops  and  satisfying  the  head 
of  the  department  in  "Washington. 

About  Christmas,  I  had  notice  that  my  family,  consisting  of 
Mrs.  Sherman,  two  children,  and  nurse,  with  my  sister  Fanny 
(now  Mrs.  Moulton,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio),  were  en  route  for 
New  Orleans  by  steam-packet ;  so  I  hired  a  house  on  Magazine 
Street,  and  furnished  it.  Almost  at  the  moment  of  their  arrival, 
also  came  from  St.  Louis  my  personal  friend  Major  Turner, 
with  a  parcel  of  documents,  which,  on  examination,  proved  to 
be  articles  of  copartnership  for  a  bank  in  California  under 
the  title  of  "  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.,"  in  which  my  name  was 
embraced  as  a  partner.  Major  Turner  was,  at  the  time,  actu 
ally  en  route  for  New  York,  to  embark  for  San  Francisco,  to 
inaugurate  the  bank,  in  the  nature  of  a  branch  of  the  firm 
already  existing  at  St.  Louis  under  the  name  of  "Lucas  & 
Symonds."  We  discussed  the  matter  very  fully,  and  he  left 
with  me  the  papers  for  reflection,  and  went  on  to  New  York 
and  California. 

Shortly  after  arrived  James  H.  Lucas,  Esq.,  the  principal  of 
the  banking-firm  in  St.  Louis,  a  most  honorable  and  wealthy 
gentleman.  He  further  explained  the  full  programme  of  the 
branch  in  California ;  that  my  name  had  been  included  at  the 


1850-'55.]         MISSOUKI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  93 

instance  of  Major  Turner,  who  was  a  man  of  family  and  prop 
erty  in  St.  Louis,  unwilling  to  remain  long  in  San  Francisco, 
and  who  wanted  me  to  succeed  him  there.  He  offered  me  a  very 
tempting  income,  with  an  interest  that  would  accumulate  and 
grow.  He  also  disclosed  to  me  that,  in  establishing  a  branch 
in  California,  he  was  influenced  by  the  apparent  prosperity  of 
Page,  Bacon  &  Co.,  and  further  that  he  had  received  the 
principal  data,  on  which  he  had  founded  the  scheme,  from  B.  R. 
Msbet,  who  was  then  a  teller  in  the  firm  of  Page,  Bacon  &  Co., 
of  San  Francisco ;  that  he  also  was  to  be  taken  in  as  a  partner, 
and  was  fully  competent  to  manage  all  the  details  of  the  busi 
ness  ;  but,  as  Nisbet  was  comparatively  young,  Mr.  Lucas  wanted 
me  to  reside  in  San  Francisco  permanently,  as  the  head  of  the 
firm.  All  these  matters  were  fully  discussed,  and  I  agreed  to 
apply  for  a  six  months'  leave  of  absence,  go  to  San  Francisco, 
see  for  myself,  and  be  governed  by  appearances  there.  I  accord 
ingly,  with  General  Twiggs's  approval,  applied  to  the  adjutant- 
general  for  a  six  months'  leave,  which  was  granted ;  and  Cap 
tain  John  F.  Reynolds  was  named  to  perform  my  duties  during 
my  absence. 

During  the  stay  of  my  family  in  New  Orleans,  we  en 
joyed  the  society  of  the  families  of  General  Twiggs,  Colonel 
Myers,  and  Colonel  Bliss,  as  also  of  many  citizens,  among  whom 
was  the  wife  of  Mr.  Day,  sister  to  my  brother-in-law,  Judge 
Bartley.  General  Twiggs  was  then  one  of  the  oldest  officers  of 
the  army.  His  history  extended  back  to  the  War  of  1812,  and 
he  had  served  in  early  days  with  General  Jackson  in  Florida 
and  in  the  Creek  campaigns.  He  had  fine  powers  of  descrip 
tion,  and  often  entertained  us,  at  his  office,  with  accounts  of 
his  experiences  in  the  earlier  settlements  of  the  Southwest. 
Colonel  Bliss  had  been  General  Taylor's  adjutant  in  the  Mexi 
can  War,  and  was  universally  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  fin 
ished  and  accomplished  scholars  in  the  army,  and  his  wife  was  a 
most  agreeable  and  accomplished  lady. 

Late  in  February,  I  dispatched  my  family  up  to  Ohio  in  the 
steamboat  Tecumseh  (Captain  Pearce);  disposed  of  my  house 
and  furniture ;  turned  over  to  Major  Reynolds  the  funds,  prop- 


94  MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,  CAUFOKNIA.  [1850-'6o. 

erty,  and  records  of  tlie  office ;  and  took  passage  in  a  small 
steamer  for  Nicaragua,  en  route  for  California.  "We  embarked 
early  in  March,  and  in  seven  days  reached  Greytown,  where 
we  united  with  the  passengers  from  New  York,  and  proceeded, 
by  the  Nicaragua  River  and  Lake,  for  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  river  was  low,  and  the  little  steam  canal-boats,  four  in 
number,  grounded  often,  so  that  the  passengers  had  to  get  into 
the  water,  to  help  them  over  the  bars.  In  all  there  were  about 
six  hundred  passengers,  of  whom  about  sixty  were  women  and 
children.  In  four  days  we  reached  Castillo,  where  there  is 
a  decided  fall,  passed  by  a  short  railway,  and  above  this  fall 
we  were  transferred  to  a  larger  boat,  which  carried  us  up 
the  rest  of  the  river,  and  across  the  beautiful  lake  Nicaragua, 
studded  with  volcanic  islands.  Landing  at  Virgin  Bay,  we  rode 
on  mules  across  to  San  Juan  del  Sur,  where  lay  at  anchor  the 
propeller  S.  S.  Lewis  (Captain  Partridge,  I  think).  Passengers 
were  carried  through  the  surf  by  natives  to  small  boats,  and 
rowed  off  to  the  Lewis.  The  weather  was  very  hot,  and  quite 
a  scramble  followed  for  state-rooms,  especially  for  those  on 
deck.  I  succeeded  in  reaching  the  purser's  office,  got  my  ticket 
for  a  berth  in  one  of  the  best  state-rooms  on  deck,  and,  just  as  I 
was  turning  from  the  window,  a  lady  who  was  a  fellow-passenger 

from  New  Orleans,  a  Mrs.  D ,  called  to  me  to  secure  her  and 

her  lady-friend  berths  on  deck,  saying  that  those  below  were  un 
endurable.  I  spoke  to  the  purser,  who,  at  the  moment  perplexed 
by  the  crowd  and  clamor,  answered :  "  I  must  put  their  names 
down  for  the  other  two  berths  of  your  state-room ;  but,  as  soon 
as  the  confusion  is  over,  I  will  make  some  change  whereby  you 
shall  not  suffer."  As  soon  as  these  two  women  were  assigned 
to  a  state-room,  they  took  possession,  and  I  was  left  out.  Their 
names  were  recorded  as  "  Captain  Sherman  and  ladies."  As  soon 
as  things  were  quieted  down  I  remonstrated  with  the  purser, 
who  at  last  gave  me  a  lower  berth  in  another  and  larger  state 
room  on  deck,  with  five  others,  so  that  my  two  ladies  had  the 
state-room  all  to  themselves.  At  every  meal  the  steward  would 
come  to  me  and  say,  "  Captain  Sherman,  will  you  bring  your 
ladies  to  the  table?"  and  we  had  the  best  seats  in  the  ship. 


1850-'55.]          MISSOURI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  95 

This  continued  throughout  the  voyage,  and  I  assert  that  "  my 
ladies  "  were  of  the  most  modest  and  best-behaved  in  the  ship ; 
but  some  time  after  we  had  reached  San  Francisco  one  of  our 
fellow-passengers  came  to  me  and  inquired  if  I  personally  knew 

Mrs.  D ,  with  flaxen  tresses,  who  sang  so  sweetly  for  us, 

and  who  had  come  out  under  my  especial  escort.  I  replied 
I  did  not,  more  than  the  chance  acquaintance  of  the  voyage, 
and  what  she  herself  had  told  me,  viz.,  that  she  expected  to 
meet  her  husband,  who  lived  about  Mokelumne  Hill.  He  then 
informed  me  that  she  was  a  woman  of  the  town.  Society  in 
California  was  then  decidedly  mixed. 

In  due  season  the  steamship  Lewis  got  under  weigh.  She  was 
a  wooden  ship,  long  and  narrow,  bark-rigged,  and  a  propeller ; 
very  slow,  moving  not  over  eight  miles  an  hour.  "We  stopped 
at  Acapulco,  and,  in  eighteen  days,  passed  in  sight  of  Point 
Pinos  at  Monterey,  and  at  the  speed  we  were  traveling  expected 
to  reach  San  Francisco  at  4  A.  M.  the  next  day.  The  cabin- 
passengers,  as  was  usual,  bought  of  the  steward  some  cham 
pagne  and  cigars,  and  we  had  a  sort  of  ovation  for  the  captain, 
purser,  and  surgeon  of  the  ship,  who  were  all  very  clever  fellows, 
though  they  had  a  slow  and  poor  ship. 

Late  at  night  all  the  passengers  went  to  bed,  expecting  to 
enter  the  port  at  daylight.  I  did  not  undress,  as  I  thought  the 
captain  could  and  would  run  in  at  night,  and  I  lay  down  with 
my  clothes  on.  About  4  A.  M.  I  was  awakened  by  a  "bump 
and  sort  of  grating  of  the  vessel,  which  I  thought  was  our  arri 
val  at  the  wharf  in  San  Francisco;  but  instantly  the  ship 
struck  heavily ;  the  engines  stopped,  and  the  running  to  and  fro 
on  deck  showed  that  something  was  wrong.  In  a  moment  I 
was  out  of  my  state-room,  at  the  bulwark,  holding  fast  to  a 
stanchion,  and  looking  over  the  side  at  the  white  and  seething 
water  caused  by  her  sudden  and  violent  stoppage.  The  sea  was 
comparatively  smooth,  the  night  pitch-dark,,  and  the  fog  deep 
and  impenetrable ;  the  ship  would  rise  with  the  swell,  and  come 
down  with  a  bump  and  quiver  that  was  decidedly  unpleasant. 
Soon  the  passengers  were  out  of  their  rooms,  undressed,  calling 
for  help,  and  praying  as  though  the  ship  were  going  to  sink  im- 


96  MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA,          [1850-'oo. 

mediately.  Of  course  she  could  not  sink,  being  already  on  the 
bottom,  and  the  only  question  was  as  to  the  strengh  of  hull  to 
stand  the  bumping  and  straining.  Great  confusion  for  a  time 
prevailed,  but  soon  I  realized  that  the  captain  had  taken  all 
proper  precautions  to  secure  his  boats,  of  which  there  were  six 
at  the  davits.  These  are  the  first  things  that  steerage-passengers 
make  for  in  case  of  shipwreck,  and  right  over  my  head  I  heard 
the  captain's  voice  say  in  a  low  tone,  but  quite  decided :  "  Let 
go  that  falls,  or,  damn  you,  I'll  blow  your  head  off ! "  This  seem 
ingly  harsh  language  gave  me  great  comfort  at  the  time,  and  on 
saying  so  to  the  captain  afterward,  he  explained  that  it  was  ad 
dressed  to  a  passenger  who  attempted  to  lower  one  of  the  boats. 
Guards,  composed  of  the  crew,  were  soon  posted  to  prevent  any 
interference  with  the  boats,  and  the  officers  circulated  among 
the  passengers  the  report  that  there  was  no  immediate  danger ; 
that,  fortunately,  the  sea  was  smooth;  that  we  were  simply 
aground,  and  must  quietly  await  daylight. 

They  advised  the  passengers  to  keep  quiet,  and  the  ladies 
and  children  to  dress  and  sit  at  the  doors  of  their  state-rooms, 
there  to  await  the  advice  and  action  of  the  officers  of  the  ship, 
who  were  perfectly  cool  and  self-possessed.  Meantime  the  ship 
was  working  over  a  reef — for  a  time  I  feared  she  would  break  in 
'two ;  but,  as  the  water  gradually  rose  inside  to  a  level  with  the 
sea  outside,  the  ship  swung  broadside  to  the  swell,  and  all  her 
keel  seemed  to  rest  on  the  rock  or  sand.  At  no  time  did  the 
sea  break  over  the  deck — but  the  water  below  drove  all  the 
people  up  to  the  main-deck  and  to  the  promenade-deck,  and 
thus  we  remained  for  about  three  hours,  when  daylight  came ; 
but  there  was  a  fog  so  thick  that  nothing  but  water  could  be 
seen.  The  captain  caused  a  boat  to  be  carefully  lowered,  put 
in  her  a  trustworthy  officer  with  a  boat-compass,  and  we  saw  her 
depart  into  the  fog.  During  her  absence  the  ship's  bell  was 
kept  tolling.  Then  the  fires  were  all  out,  the  ship  full  of  water, 
and  gradually  breaking  up,  wriggling  with  every  swell  like  a 
willow  basket — the  sea  all  round  us  full  of  the  floating  frag 
ments  of  her  sheeting,  twisted  and  torn  into  a  spongy  condition. 
In  less  than  an  hour  the  boat  returned,  saying  that  the  beach 


1850-'5o.]          MISSOURI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFOENIA.  97 

was  quite  near,  not  more  than  a  mile  away,  and  had  a  good 
place  for  landing.  All  the  boats  were  then  carefully  lowered, 
and  manned  by  crews  belonging  to  the  ship;  a  piece  of  the 
gangway,  on  the  leeward  side,  was  cut  away,  and  all  the  women, 
and  a  few  of  the  worst-scared  men,  were  lowered  into  the  boats, 
which  pulled  for  shore.  In  a  comparatively  short  time  the 
boats  returned,  took  new  loads,  and  the  debarkation  was  after 
ward  carried  on  quietly  and  systematically.  No  baggage  was 
allowed  to  go  on  shore  except  bags  or  parcels  carried  in  the 
hands  of  passengers.  At  times  the  fog  lifted  so  that  we  could 
see  from  the  wreck  the  tops  of  the  hills,  and  the  outline  of  the 
shore ;  and  I  remember  sitting  on  the  upper  or  hurricane  deck 
with  the  captain,  who  had  his  maps  and  compass  before  him, 
and  was  trying  to  make  out  where  the  ship  was.  I  thought  I 
recognized  the  outline  of  the  hills  below  the  mission  of  Dolores, 
and  so  stated  to  him ;  but  he  called  my  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  general  line  of  hills  bore  northwest,  whereas  the  coast  south 
of  San  Francisco  bears  due  north  and  south.  He  therefore  con 
cluded  that  the  ship  had  overrun  her  reckoning,  and  was  then  to 
the  north  of  San  Francisco.  He  also  explained  that,  the  passage 
up  being  longer  than  usual,  viz.,  eighteen  days,  the  coal  was 
short ;  that  at  the  time  the  firemen  were  using  some  cut-up  spars 
along  with  the  slack  of  coal,  and  that  this  fuel  had  made  more 
than  usual  steam,  so  that  the  ship  must  have  glided  along  faster 
than  reckoned.  This  proved  to  be  the  actual  case,  for,  in  fact, 
the  steamship  Lewis  was  wrecked  April  9,  1853,  on  "Duck 
worth  Reef,"  Baulinas  Bay,  about  eighteen  miles  above  the  en 
trance  to  San  Francisco. 

The  captain  had  sent  ashore  the  purser  in  the  first  boat,  with 
orders  to  work  his  way  to  the  city  as  soon  as  possible,  to  re 
port  the  loss  of  his  vessel,  and  to  bring  back  help.  I  remained 
on  the  wreck  till  among  the  last  of  the  passengers,  managing  to 
get  a  can  of  crackers  and  some  sardines  out  of  the  submerged 
pantry,  a  thing  the  rest  of  the  passengers  did  not  have,  and  then 
I  went  quietly  ashore  in  one  of  the  boats.  The  passengers  were 
all  on  the  beach,  under  a  steep  bluff;  had  built  fires  to  dry 
their  clothes,  but  had  seen  no  human  being,  and  had  no  idea 
7 


98  MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.          [1850-'55. 

where  they  were.  Taking  along  with  me  a  fellow-passenger,  a 
young  chap  about  eighteen  years  old,  I  scrambled  up  the  bluff, 
and  walked  back  toward  the  hills,  in  hopes  to  get  a  good  view  of 
some  known  object.  It  was  then  the  month  of  April,  and  the 
hills  were  covered  with  the  beautiful  grasses  and  flowers  of  that 
season  of  the  year.  We  soon  found  horse  paths  and  tracks,  and 
following  them  we  came  upon  a  drove  of  horses  grazing  at  large, 
some  of  which  had  saddle-marks.  At  about  two  miles  from  the 
beach  we  found  a  corral ;  and  thence,  following  one  of  the 
strongest-marked  paths,  in  about  a  mile  more  we  descended  into 
a  valley,  and,  on  turning  a  sharp  point,  reached  a  board  shanty, 
with  a  horse  picketed  near  by.  Four  men  were  inside  eating  a 
meal.  I  inquired  if  any  of  the  Lewis's  people  had  been  there ; 
they  did  not  seem  to  understand  what  I  meant,  when  I  ex 
plained  to  them  that  about  three  miles  from  them,  and  beyond 
the  old  corral,  the  steamer  Lewis  was  wrecked,  and  her  passen 
gers  were  on  the  beach.  I  inquired  where  we  were,  and  they 
answered,  "At  Baulinas  Creek;"  that  they  were  employed  at  a 
saw-mill  just  above,  and  were  engaged  in  shipping  lumber  to 
San  Francisco;  that  a  schooner  loaded  with  lumber  was  then 
about  two  miles  down  the  creek,  waiting  for  the  tide  to  get 
out,  and  doubtless  if  we  would  walk  down  they  would  take  us 
on  board. 

I  wrote  a  few  words  back  to  the  captain,  telling  him  where 
he  was,  and  that  I  would  hurry  to  the  city  to  send  him  help. 
My  companion  and  I  then  went  on  down  the  creek,  and  soon 
descried  the  schooner  anchored  out  in  the  stream.  On  being 
hailed,  a  small  boat  came  in  and  took  us  on  board.  The 
"  captain  "  willingly  agreed  for  a  small  sum  to  carry  us  down 
to  San  Francisco ;  and,  as  his  whole  crew  consisted  of  a  small 
boy  about  twelve  years  old,  we  helped  him  to  get  up  his  an 
chor  and  pole  the  schooner  down  the  creek  and  out  over  the 
bar  on  a  high  tide.  This  must  have  been  about  2  P.  M.  Once 
over  the  bar,  the  sails  were  hoisted,  and  we  glided  along 
rapidly  with  a  strong,  fair,  northwest  wind.  The  fog  had  lifted, 
so  we  could  see  the  shores  plainly,  and  the  entrance  to  the  bay. 
In  a  couple  of  hours  we  were  entering  the  bay,  and  running 


1850-'55.]          MISSOURI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  99 

"  wing-and-wing."  Outside  the  wind  was  simply  the  usual 
strong  breeze ;  but,  as  it  passes  through  the  head  of  the  Golden 
Gate,  it  increases,  and  there,  too,  we  met  a  strong  ebb-tide. 

The  schooner  was  loaded  with  lumber,  much  of  which  was  on 
deck,  lashed  down  to  ring-bolts  with  raw-hide  thongs.  The  cap 
tain  was  steering,  and  I  was  reclining  on  the  lumber,  looking  at 
the  familiar  shore,  as  we  approached  Fort  Point,  when  I  heard  a 
sort  of  cry,  and  felt  the  schooner  going  over.  As  we  got  into  the 
throat  of  the  "  Heads,"  the  force  of  the  wind,  meeting  a  strong 
ebb-tide,  drove  the  nose  of  the  schooner  under  water ;  she  dove 
like  a  duck,  went  over  on  her  side,  and  began  to  drift  out  with 
the  tide.  I  found  myself  in  the  water,  mixed  up  with  pieces  of 
plank  and  ropes ;  struck  out,  swam  round  to  the  stern,  got  on  the 
keel,  and  clambered  up  on  the  side.  Satisfied  that  she  could  not 
sink,  by  reason  of  her  cargo,  I  was  not  in  the  least  alarmed,  but 
thought  two  shipwrecks  in  one  day  not  a  good  beginning  for 
a  new,  peaceful  career.  Nobody  was  drowned,  however;  the 
captain  and  crew  were  busy  in  securing  such  articles  as  were 
liable  to  float  off,  and  I  looked  out  for  some  passing  boat  or 
vessel  to  pick  us  up.  "We  were  drifting  steadily  out  to  sea, 
while  I  was  signaling  to  a  boat  about  three  miles  off,  tow 
ard  Saucelito,  and  saw  her  tack  and  stand  toward  us.  I  was 
busy  watching  this  sail-boat,  when  I  heard  a  Yankee's  voice, 
close  behind,  saying,  "This  is  a  nice  mess  you've  got  your 
selves  into,"  and  looking  about  I  saw  a  man  in  a  small  boat,  who 
had  seen  us  upset,  and  had  rowed  out  to  us  from  a  schooner 
anchored  close  under  the  fort.  Some  explanations  were  made, 
and  when  the  sail-boat  coming  from  Saucelito  was  near  enough 
to  be  spoken  to,  and  the  captain  had  engaged  her  to  help  his 
schooner,  we  bade  him  good-by,  and  got  the  man  in  the 
small  boat  to  carry  us  ashore,  and  land  us  at  the  foot  of  the 
bluff,  just  below  the  fort.  Once  there,  I  was  at  home,  and 
we  footed  it  up  to  the  Presidio.  Of  the  sentinel  I  inquired 
who  was  in  command  of  the  post,  and  was  answered,  "  Major 
Merchant."  He  was  not  then  in,  but  his  adjutant,  Lieutenant 
Gardner,  was.  I  sent  my  card  to  him ;  he  came  out,  and 
was  much  surprised  to  find  me  covered  with  sand,  and  dripping 


100  MISSOURI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.          [1850-'65. 

with  water,  a  good  specimen  of  a  shipwrecked  mariner.  A  few 
words  of  explanation  sufficed ;  horses  were  provided,  and  we 
rode  hastily  into  the  city,  reaching  the  office  of  the  Nicaragua 
Steamship  Company  (C.  K.  Garrison,  agent)  about  dark,  just  as 
the  purser  had  arrived,  by  a  totally  different  route.  It  was  too 
late  to  send  relief  that  night,  but  by  daylight  next  morning 
two  steamers  were  en  route  for  and  reached  the  place  of  wreck 
in  time  to  relieve  the  passengers  and  bring  them,  and  most  of 
the  baggage.  I  lost  my  carpet-bag,  but  saved  my  trunk.  The 
Lewis  went  to  pieces  the  night  after  we  got  off,  and,  had  there 
been  an  average  sea  during  the  night  of  our  shipwreck,  none 
of  us  probably  would  have  escaped.  That  evening  in  San 
Francisco  I  hunted  up  Major  Turner,  whom  I  found  boarding, 
in  company  with  General  E.  A.  Hitchcock,  at  a  Mrs.  Ross's,  on 
Clay  Street,  near  Powell.  I  took  quarters  with  them,  and  be 
gan  to  make  my  studies,  with  a  view  to  a  decision  whether  it 
was  best  to  undertake  this  new  and  untried  scheme  of  banking, 
or  to  return  to  New  Orleans  and  hold  on  to  what  I  then  had, 
a  good  army  commission. 

At  the  time  of  my  arrival,  San  Francisco  was  on  the  top 
wave  of  speculation  and  prosperity.  Major  Turner  had  rented 
at  six  hundred  dollars  a  month  the  office  formerly  used  and 
then  owned  by  Adams  &  Co.,  on  the  east  side  of  Montgomery 
Street,  between  Sacramento  and  California  Streets.  B.  R.  Nis- 
bet  was  the  active  partner,  and  James  Reilly  the  teller.  Al 
ready  the  bank  of  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.  was  established,  and 
was  engaged  in  selling  bills  of  exchange,  receiving  deposits,  and 
loaning  money  at  three  per  cent,  a  month. 

Page,  Bacon  &  Co.,  and  Adams  &  Co.,  were  in  full  blast 
across  the  street,  in  Parrott's  new  granite  building,  and  other 
bankers  were  doing  seemingly  a  prosperous  business,  among 
them  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co. ;  Drexel,  Sather  &  Church ;  Burgoyne 
&  Co. ;  James  King  of  "Wm. ;  Sanders  &  Brenham ;  Davidson 
&  Co. ;  Palmer,  Cook  &  Co.,  and  others.  Turner  and  I  had  rooms 
at  Mrs.  Ross's,  and  took  our  meals  at  restaurants  down-town, 
mostly  at  a  Frenchman's  named  Martin,  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  Montgomery  and  California  Streets.  General  Hitchcock,  of 


1850-'55.]          MISSOUEI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFOKNIA.  101 

the  army,  commanding  the  Department  of  California,  usually 
messed  with  ns ;  also  a  Captain  Mason,  and  Lieutenant  Whiting, 
of  the  Engineer  Corps.  We  soon  secured  a  small  share  of  busi 
ness,  and  became  satisfied  there  was  room  for  profit.  Every 
body  seemed  to  be  making  money  fast ;  the  city  was  being  rapid 
ly  extended  and  improved;  people  paid  their  three  per  cent, 
a  month  interest  without  fail,  and  without  deeming  it  excessive. 
Turner,  Nisbet,  and  I,  daily  discussed  the  prospects,  and  gradu 
ally  settled  down  to  the  conviction  that  with  two  hundred  thou 
sand  dollars  capital,  and  a  credit  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  in 
New  York,  we  could  build  up  a  business  that  would  help  the 
St.  Louis  house,  and  at  the  same  time  pay  expenses  in  California, 
with  a  reasonable  profit.  Of  course,  Turner  never  designed  to 
remain  long  in  California,  and  I  consented  to  go  back  to  St. 
Louis,  confer  with  Mr.  Lucas  and  Captain  Simonds,  agree  upon 
further  details,  and  then  return  permanently. 

I  have  no  memoranda  by  me  now  by  which  to  determine 
the  fact,  but  think  I  returned  to  New  York  in  July,  1853,  by 
the  Nicaragua  route,  and  thence  to  St.  Louis  by  way  of  Lancaster, 
Ohio,  where  my  family  still  was.  Mr.  Lucas  promptly  agreed 
to  the  terms  proposed,  and  further  consented,  on  the  expiration 
of  the  lease  of  the  Adams  &  Co.  oflice,  to  erect  a  new  banking- 
house  in  San  Francisco,  to  cost  fifty  thousand  dollars.  I  then 
returned  to  Lancaster,  explained  to  Mr.  Ewing  and  Mrs.  Sher 
man  all  the  details  of  our  agreement,  and,  meeting  their  ap 
proval,  I  sent  to  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  army  my  letter 
of  resignation,  to  take  effect  at  the  end  of  the  six  months'  leave, 
and  the  resignation  was  accepted,  to  take  effect  September  6, 
1853.  Being  then  a  citizen,  I  engaged  a  passage  out  to  Cali 
fornia  by  the. Nicaragua  route,  in  the  steamer  leaving  New  York 
September  20th,  for  myself  and  family,  and  accordingly  pro 
ceeded  to  New  York,  where  I  had  a  conference  with  Mr.  Meigs, 
cashier  of  the  American  Exchange  Bank,  and  with  Messrs. 
Wadsworth  &  Sheldon,  bankers,  who  were  our  New  York 
correspondents;  and  on  the  20th  embarked  for  San  Juan  del 
Norte,  with  the  family,  composed  of  Mrs.  Sherman,  Lizzie,  then 
less  than  a  year  old,  and  her  nurse,  Mary  Lynch.  Our  passage 


102  MISSOUKI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFOKNIA.          [1850-'55. 

down  was  uneventful,  and,  on  the  boats  up  the  Nicaragua  River, 
pretty  much  the  same  as  before.  On  reaching  Yirgin  Bay,  I 
engaged  a  native  with  three  mules  to  carry  us  across  to  the 
Pacific,  and  as  usual  the  trip  partook  of  the  ludicrous — Mrs. 
Sherman  mounted  on  a  donkey  about  as  large  as  a  Newfound 
land  dog ;  Mary  Lynch  on  another,  trying  to  carry  Lizzie  on  a 
pillow  before  her,  but  her  mule  had  a  fashion  of  lying  down, 
which  scared  her,  till  I  exchanged  mules,  and  my  California 
spurs  kept  that  mule  on  his  legs.  I  carried  Lizzie  some  time 
till  she  was  fast  asleep,  when  I  got  our  native  man  to  carry  her 
awhile.  The  child  woke  up,  and,  finding  herself  in  the  hands 
of  a  dark-visaged  man,  she  yelled  most  lustily  till  I  got  her 
away.  At  the  summit  of  the  pass,  there  was  a  clear-running 
brook,  where  we  rested  an  hour,  and  bathed  Lizzie  in  its  sweet 
waters.  We  then  continued  to  the  end  of  our  journey,  and, 
without  going  to  the  tavern  at  San  Juan  del  Sur,  we  passed  di 
rectly  to  the  vessel,  then  at  anchor  about  two  miles  out.  To 
reach  her  we  engaged  a  native  boat,  which  had  to  be  kept  out 
side  the  surf.  Mrs.  Sherman  was  first  taken  in  the  arms  of  two 
stout  natives ;  Mary  Lynch,  carrying  Lizzie,  was  carried  by  two 
others ;  and  I  followed,  mounted  on  the  back  of  a  strapping 
fellow,  while  fifty  or  a  hundred  others  were  running  to  and 
fro,  cackling  like  geese. 

Mary  Lynch  got  scared  at  the  surf,  and  began  screaming  like 
a  fool,  when  Lizzie  became  convulsed  with  fear,  and  one  of  the 
natives  rushed  to  her,  caught  her  out  of  Mary's  arms,  and  carried 
her  swiftly  to  Mrs.  Sherman,  who,  by  that  time,  was  in  the  boat, 
but  Lizzie  had  fainted  with  fear,  and  for  a  long  time  sobbed  as 
though  permanently  injured.  For  years  she  showed  symptoms 
that  made  us  believe  she  had  never  entirely  recovered  from  the  ef 
fects  of  the  scare.  In  due  time  we  reached  the  steamer  Sierra 
Nevada,  and  got  a  good  state-room.  Our  passage  up  the  coast 
was  pleasant  enough ;  we  reached  San  Francisco ;  on  the  15th 
of  October,  and  took  quarters  at  an  hotel  on  Stockton  Street, 
near  Broadway. 

Major  Turner  remained  till  some  time  in  November,  when 
he  also  departed  for  the  East,  leaving  me  and  Nisbet  to  man- 


1850-'55.]          MISSOURI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  103 

age  the  bank.  I  endeavored  to  make  myself  familiar  with 
the  business,  but  of  course  Nisbet  kept  the  books,  and  gave  his 
personal  attention  to  the  loans,  discounts,  and  drafts,  which 
yielded  the  profits.  I  soon  saw,  however,  that  the  three  per 
cent,  charged  as  premium  on  bills  of  exchange  was  not  all  profit, 
but  out  of  this  had  to  come  one  and  a  fourth  to  one  and  a 
half  for  freight,  one  and  a  third  for  insurance,  with  some 
indefinite  promise  of  a  return  premium;  then,  the  cost  of 
blanks,  boxing  of  the  bullion,  etc.,  etc.  Indeed,  I  saw  no  margin 
for  profit  at  all.  Nisbet,  however,  who  had  long  been  familiar 
with  the  business,  insisted  there  was  a  profit,  in  the  fact  that 
the  gold-dust  or  bullion  shipped  was  more  valuable  than  its 
cost  to  us.  "We,  of  course,  had  to  remit  bullion  to  meet  our 
bills  on  New  York,  and  bought  crude  gold-dust,  or  bars  refined 
by  Kellogg  &  Humbert  or  E.  Justh  &  Co.,  for  at  that  time 
the  United  States  Mint  was  not  in  operation.  But,  as  the  re 
ports  of  our  shipments  came  back  from  New  York,  I  discovered 
that  I  was  right,  and  Nisbet  was  wrong ;  and,  although  we  could 
not  help  selling  our  checks  on  New  York  and  St.  Louis  at  the 
same  price  as  other  bankers,  I  discovered  that,  at  all  events,  the 
exchange  business  in  San  Francisco  was  rather  a  losing  business 
than  profitable.  The  same  as  to  loans.  We  could  loan,  at 
three  per  cent,  a  month,  all  our  own  money,  say  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  a  part  of  our  deposit  account. 
This  latter  account  in  California  was  decidedly  uncertain.  The 
balance  due  depositors  would  run  down  to  a  mere  nominal  sum 
on  steamer-days,  which  were  the  1st  and  15th  of  each  month,  and 
then  would  increase  till  the  next  steamer-day,  so  that  we  could 
not  make  use  of  any  reasonable  part  of  this  balance  for  loans 
beyond  the  next  steamer-day ;  or,  in  other  words,  we  had  an 
expensive  bank,  with  expensive  clerks,  and  all  the  machinery 
for  taking  care  of  other  people's  money  for  their  benefit,  with 
out  corresponding  profit.  I  also  saw  that  loans  were  attended 
with  risk  commensurate  with  the  rate ;  nevertheless,  I  could  not 
attempt  to  reform  the  rules  and  customs  established  by  others 
before  me,  and  had  to  drift  along  with  the  rest  toward  that 
Niagara  that  none  foresaw  at  the  time. 


104:  MISSOUEI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.          [1850-'55. 

Shortly  after  arriving  out  in  1853,  we  looked  around  for  a 
site  for  the  new  bank,  and  the  only  place  then  available  on 
Montgomery  Street,  the  "Wall  Street  of  San  Francisco,  was  a  lot 
at  the  corner  of  Jackson  Street,  facing  Montgomery,  with  an 
alley  on  the  north,  belonging  to  James  Lick.  The  ground  was 
sixty  by  sixty-two  feet,  and  I  had  to  pay  for  it  thirty-two 
thousand  dollars.  I  then  made  a  contract  with  the  builders, 
Keyser  &  Brown,  to  erect  a  three-story  brick  building,  with  fin 
ished  basement,  for  about  fifty  thousand  dollars.  This  made 
eighty-two  thousand  instead  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  but  I 
thought  Mr.  Lucas  could  stand  it  and  would  approve,  which  he 
did,  though  it  resulted  in  loss  to  him.  After  the  civil  war,  he 
told  me  he  had  sold  the  building  for  forty  thousand  dollars, 
about  half  its  cost,  but  luckily  gold  was  then  at  250,  so  that 
he  could  use  the  forty  thousand  dollars  gold  as  the  equivalent 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  currency.  The  building  was 
erected ;  I  gave  it  my  personal  supervision,  and  it  was  strongly 
and  thoroughly  built,  for  I  saw  it  two  years  ago,  when  sev 
eral  earthquakes  had  made  no  impression  on  it;  still,  the 
choice  of  site  was  unfortunate,  for  the  city  drifted  in  the  oppo 
site  direction,  viz.,  toward  Market  Street.  I  then  thought  that 
all  the  heavy  business  would  remain  toward  the  foot  of  Broad 
way  and  Jackson  Street,  because  there  were  the  deepest  water 
and  best  wharves,  but  in  this  I  made  a  mistake.  Never 
theless,  in  the  spring  of  1854,  the  new  bank  was  finished,  and 
we  removed  to  it,  paying  rents  thereafter  to  our  Mr.  Lucas 
instead  of  to  Adams  &  Co.  A  man  named  Wright,  during  the 
same  season,  built  a  still  finer  building  just  across  the  street 
from  us;  Pioche,  Bayerque  &  Co.  were  already  established 
on  another  corner  of  Jackson  Street,  and  the  new  Metropolitan 
Theatre  was  in  progress  diagonally  opposite  us.  During  the 
whole  of  1854  our  business  steadily  grew,  our  average  deposits 
going  up  to  half  a  million,  and  our  sales  of  exchange  and  con 
sequent  shipment  of  bullion  averaging  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  per  steamer.  I  signed  all  bills  of  exchange,  and  insisted 
on  Nisbet  consulting  me  on  loans  and  discounts.  Spite  of  every 
caution,  however,  we  lost  occasionally  by  bad  loans,  and  worse 


1850-'65.]         MISSOURI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFORNIA.  105 

by  the  steady  depreciation  of  real  estate.  The  city  of  San  Fran 
cisco  was  then  extending  her  streets,  sewering  them,  and  plank 
ing  them,  with  three-inch  lumber.  In  payment  for  the  lumber 
and  the  work  of  contractors,  the  city  authorities  paid  scrip  in 
even  sums  of  one  hundred,  five  hundred,  one  thousand,  and 
five  thousand  dollars.  These  formed  a  favorite  collateral  for 
loans  at  from  fifty  to  sixty  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  no  one 
doubted  their  ultimate  value,  either  by  redemption  or  by  being 
converted  into  city  bonds.  The  notes  also  of  H.  Meiggs,  Keeley 
Thompson  &  Co.,  etc.,  lumber-dealers,  were  favorite  notes,  for 
they  paid  their  interest  promptly,  and  lodged  large  margins  of 
these  street-improvement  warrants  as  collateral.  At  that  time, 
Meiggs  was  a  prominent  man,  lived  in  style  in  a  large  house  on 
Broadway,  was  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  and  owned  large 
saw-mills  up  the  coast  about  Mendocino.  In  him  Nisbet  had 
unbounded  faith,  but,  for  some  reason,  I  feared  or  mistrusted 
him,  and  remember  that  I  cautioned  Nisbet  not  to  extend  his 
credit,  but  to  gradually  contract  his  loans.  On  looking  over  our 
bills  receivable,  then  about  six  hundred  thousand  dollars,  I  found 
Meiggs,-  as  principal  or  indorser,  owed  us  about  eighty  thousand 
dollars — all,  however,  secured  by  city  warrants ;  still,  he  kept 
bank  accounts  elsewhere,  and  was  generally  a  borrower.  I  in 
structed  Msbet  to  insist  on  his  reducing  his  line  as  the  notes 
matured,  and,  as  he  found  it  indelicate  to  speak  to  Meiggs,  I  in 
structed  him  to  refer  him  to  me ;  accordingly,  when,  on  the  next 
steamer-day,  Meiggs  appeared  at  the  counter  for  a  draft  on 
Philadelphia,  of  about  twenty  thousand  dollars,  for  which  he 
offered  his  note  and  collateral,  he  was  referred  to  me,  and  I  ex 
plained  to  him  that  our  draft  was  the  same  as  money ;  that  he 
could  have  it  for  cash,  but  that  we  were  already  in  advance  to 
him  some  seventy-five  or  eighty  thousand  dollars,  and  that  in 
stead  of  increasing  the  amount  I  must  insist  on  its  reduction. 
He  inquired  if  I  mistrusted  his  ability,  etc.  I  explained, 
certainly  not,  but  that  our  duty  was  to  assist  those  who  did  aU 
their  business  with  us,  and,  as  our  means  were  necessarily  lim 
ited,  I  must  restrict  him  to  some  reasonable  sum,  say,  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  Meiggs  invited  me  to  go  with  him  to  a  rich 


106  MISSOUEI,  LOUISIANA,   CALIFOKNIA.          [1850-'o5. 

mercantile  house  on  Clay  Street,  whose  partners  belonged  in 
Hamburg,  and  there,  in  the  presence  of  the  principals  of  the 
.house,  he  demonstrated,  as  clearly  as  a  proposition  in  mathe 
matics,  that  his  business  at  Mendocino  was  based  on  calculations 
that  could  not  fail.  The  bill  of  exchange  which  he  wanted,  he 
said  would  make  the  last  payment  on  a  propeller  already  built  in 
Philadelphia,  which  would  be  sent  to  San  Francisco,  to  tow  into 
and  out  of  port  the  schooners  and  brigs  that  were  bringing 
his  lumber  down  the  coast.  I  admitted  all  he  said,  but  renewed 
my  determination  to  limit  his  credit  to  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars.  The  Hamburg  firm  then  agreed  to  accept  for  him  the 
payment  of  all  his  debt  to  us,  except  the  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars,  payable  in  equal  parts  for  the  next  three  steamer-days. 
Accordingly,  Meiggs  went  back  with  me  to  our  bank,  wrote  his 
note  for  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  secured  it  by  mortgage 
on  real  estate  and  city  warrants,  and  substituted  the  three  ac 
ceptances  of  the  Hamburg  firm  for  the  overplus.  I  surrendered 
to  him  all  his  former  notes,  except  one  for  which  he  was  in- 
dorser.  The  three  acceptances  duly  matured  and  were  paid; 
one  morning  Meiggs  and  family  were  missing,  and  it  was  dis 
covered  they  had  embarked  in  a  sailing-vessel  for  South  Ameri 
ca.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  failures  in  San  Fran 
cisco,  that  extended  through  the  next  two  years.  As  soon  as  it 
was  known  that  Meiggs  had  fled,  the  town  was  full  of  rumors, 
and  everybody  was  running  to  and  fro  to  secure  his  money. 
His  debts  amounted  to  nearly  a  million  dollars.  The  Hamburg 
house  which,  had  been  humbugged,  were  heavy  losers  and  failed, 
I  think.  I  took  possession  of  Meiggs's  dwelling-house  and  other 
property  for  which  I  held  his  mortgage,  and  in  the  city  warrants 
thought  I  had  an  overplus ;  but  it  transpired  that  Meiggs,  being 
in  the  City  Council,  had  issued  various  quantities  of  street  scrip, 
which  was  adjudged  a  forgery,  though,  beyond  doubt,  most  of  it, 
if  not  all,  was  properly  signed,  but  fraudulently  issued.  On 
this  city  scrip  our  bank  must  have  lost  about  ten  thousand  dol 
lars.  Meiggs  subsequently  turned  up  in  Chili,  where  again  he 
rose  to  wealth  and  has  paid  much  of  his  San  Francisco  debts, 
but  none  to  us.  He  is  now  in  Peru,  living  like  a  prince.  With 


1850-'55.]          MISSOUEI,   LOUISIANA,   CALIFOKNIA.  107 

Meiggs  fell  all  the  lumber-dealers,  and  many,  persons  dealing  in 
city  scrip.  Compared  with  others,  our  loss  was  a  trifle.  In  a 
short  time  things  in  San  Francisco  resumed  their  wonted  course, 
and  we  generally  laughed  at  the  escapade  of  Meiggs,  and  the 
cursing  of  his  deluded  creditors. 

Shortly  after  our  arrival  in  San  Francisco,  I  rented  of  a  Mr. 
Marryat,  son  of  the  English  Captain  Marryat,  the  author,  a  small 
frame-house  on  Stockton  Street,  near  Green,  buying  of  him  his 
furniture,  and  we  removed  to  it  about  December  1, 1853.  Close 
by,  around  on  Green  Street,  a  man  named  Dickey  was  building 
two  small  brick-houses,  on  ground  which  he  had  leased  of  Nich 
olson.  I  bought  one  of  these  houses,  subject  to  the  ground-rent, 
and  moved  into  it  as  soon  as  finished.  Lieutenant  T.  H.  Ste 
vens,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  with  his  family,  rented  the 
other;  we  lived  in  this  house  throughout  the  year  1854,  and 
up  to  April  17,  1855. 


CHAPTEE   IV. 

CALIFORNIA. 

1855-185T. 

DURING  the  winter  of  1854r-'55,  I  received  frequent  intima 
tions  in  my  letters  from  the  St.  Louis  house,  that  the  bank  of 
Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  was  in  trouble,  growing  out  of  their  rela 
tions  to  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Kailroad,  to  the  contractors  for 
building  which  they  had  made  large  advances,  to  secure  which 
they  had  been  compelled  to  take,  as  it  were,  an  assignment  of  the 
contract  itself,  and  finally  to  assume  all  the  liabilities  of  the  con 
tractors.  Then  they  had  to  borrow  money  in  ISTew  York,  and 
raise  other  money  from  time  to  time,  in  the  purchase  of  iron 
and  materials  for  the  road,  and  to  pay  the  hands.  The  firm  in 
St.  Louis  and  that  in  San  Francisco  were  different,  having  dif 
ferent  partners,  and  the  St.  Louis  house  naturally  pressed  the 
San  Francisco  firm  to  ship  largely  of  "  gold-dust,"  which  gave 
them  a  great  name ;  also  to  keep  as  large  a  balance  as  possible 
in  ISTew  York  to  sustain  their  credit.  Mr.  Page  was  a  very 
wealthy  man,  but  his  wealth  consisted  mostly  of  land  and  prop 
erty  in  St.  Louis.  He  was  an  old  man,  and  a  good  one ;  had 
been  a  baker,  and  knew  little  of  banking  as  a  business.  This 
part  of  his  general  business  was  managed  exclusively  by  his  son- 
in-law,  Henry  D.  Bacon,  who  was  young,  handsome,  and  gener 
ally  popular.  How  he  was  drawn  into  that  affair  of  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  road  I  have  no  means  of  knowing,  except  by 
hearsay.  Their  business  in  New  York  was  done  through  the 
American  Exchange  Bank,  and  through  Duncan,  Sherman  & 
Co.  As  we  were  rival  houses,  the  St.  Louis  partners  removed 


1855-'57.]  CALIFORNIA.  109 

our  account  from  the  American  Exchange  Bank  to  the  Metro 
politan  Bank ;  and,  as  Wadsworth  &  Sheldon  had  failed,  I  was 
instructed  to  deal  in  time  bills,  and  in  European  exchange,  with 
Schuchardt  &  Gebhard,  bankers  in  Nassau  Street. 

In  California  the  house  of  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  was  composed 
of  the  same  partners  as  in  St.  Louis,  with  the  addition  of  Henry 
Haight,  Judge  Chambers,  and  young  Frank  Page.  The  latter 
had  charge  of  the  "  branch "  in  Sacramento.  Haight  was  the 
real  head-man,  but  he  was  too  fond  of  lager-beer  to  be  in 
trusted  with  so  large  a  business.  Beyond  all  comparison,  Page, 
Bacon  &  Co.  were  the  most  prominent  bankers  in  California  in 
1853-'55.  Though  I  had  notice  of  danger  in  that  quarter, 
from  our  partners  in  St.  Louis,  nobody  in  California  doubted 
their  wealth  and  stability.  They  must  have  had,  during  that 
winter,  an  average  deposit  account  of  nearly  two  million  dol 
lars,  of  which  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars  was  in  "  certifi 
cates  of  deposit,"  the  most  stable  of  all  accounts  in  a  bank. 
Thousands  of  miners  invested  their  earnings  in  such  certificates, 
which  they  converted  into  drafts  on  New  York,  when  they 
were  ready  to  go  home  or  wanted  to  send  their  "  pile  "  to  their 
families.  Adams  &  Co.  were  next  in  order,  because  of  their 
numerous  offices  scattered  throughout  the  mining  country.  A 
gentleman  named  Haskell  had  been  in  charge  of  Adams  &  Co. 
in  San  Francisco,  but  in  the  winter  of  1854-'55  some  changes 
were  made,  and  the  banking  department  had  been  transferred 
to  a  magnificent  office  in  Halleck's  new  Metropolitan  Block. 
James  King  of  Wm.  had  discontinued  business  on  his  own  ac 
count,  and  been  employed  by  Adams  &  Co.  as  their  cashier  and 
banker,  and  Isaiah  C.  Wood  had  succeeded  Haskell  in  chief  con 
trol  of  the  express  department.  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  were  also 
bankers  as  well  as  expressmen,  and  William  J.  Pardee  was  the 
resident  partner. 

As  the  mail-steamer  came  in  on  February  17,  1855,  accord 
ing  to  her  custom,  she  ran  close  to  the  Long  Wharf  (Meiggs's) 
on  North  Beach,  to  throw  ashore  the  express-parcels  of  news  for 
speedy  delivery.  Some  passenger  on  deck  called  to  a  man  of 
his  acquaintance  standing  on  the  wharf,  that  Page  &  Bacon  had 


110  CALIFORNIA.  [1855-'57. 

failed  in  New  York.  The  news  spread  like  wild-fire,  but  soon 
it  was  met  by  the  newspaper  accounts  to  the  effect  that  some 
particular  acceptances  of  Page  &  Bacon,  of  St.  Louis,  in  the 
hands  of  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co.,  in  New  York,  had  gone 
to  protest.  All  who  had  balances  at  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.'s,  or 
held  certificates  of  deposit,  were  more  or  less  alarmed,  wanted 
to  secure  their  money,  and  a  general  excitement  pervaded  the 
whole  community.  "Word  was  soon  passed  round  that  the  mat 
ter  admitted  of  explanation,  viz.,  that  the  two  houses  were 
distinct  and  separate  concerns,  that  every  draft  of  the  Cali 
fornia  house  had  been  paid  in  'New  York,  and  would  continue 
to  be  paid.  It  was  expected  that  this  assertion  would  quiet  the 
fears  of  the  California  creditors,  but  for  the  next  three  days 
there  was  a  steady  "  run "  on  that  bank.  Page,  Bacon  &  Co. 
stood  the  first  day's  run  very  well,  and,  as  I  afterward  learned, 
paid  out  about  six  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  gold  coin.  On 
the  20th  of  February  Henry  Haight  came  to  our  bank,  to  see 
what  help  we  were  willing  to  give  him;  but  I  was  out,  and 
Nisbet  could  not  answer  positively  for  the  firm.  Our  condition 
was  then  very  strong.  The  deposit  account  was  about  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  we  had  in  our  vault  about  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  coin  and  bullion,  besides  an  equal 
amount  of  good  bills  receivable.  Still  I  did  not  like  to  weaken 
ourselves  to  help  others;  but  in  a  most  friendly  spirit,  that 
night  after  bank-hours,  I  went  down  to  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.,  and 
entered  their  office  from  the  rear.  I  found  in  the  cashier's 
room  Folsom,  Parrott,  Dewey  and  Payne,  Captain  Ritchie,  Don- 
ohue,  and  others,  citizens  and  friends  of  the  house,  who  had 
been  called  in  for  consultation.  Passing  into  the  main  office, 
where  all  the  book-keepers,  tellers,  etc.,  with  gas-lights,  were 
busy  writing  up  the  day's  work,  I  found  Mr.  Page,  Henry 
Haight,  and  Judge  Chambers.  I  spoke  to  Haight,  saying 
that  I  was  sorry  I  had  been  out  when  he  called  at  our  bank, 
and  had  now  come  to  see  him  in  the  most  friendly  spirit. 
Haight  had  evidently  been  drinking,  and  said  abruptly  that 
"  all  the  banks  would  break,"  that  "  no  bank  could  instantly  pay 
all  its  obligations,"  etc.  I  answered  he  could  speak  for  himself, 


1855-'57.]  CALIFORNIA.  HI 

but  not  for  me ;  that  I  had  come  to  offer  to  buy  with  cash  a  fair 
proportion  of  his  bullion,  notes,  and  bills;  but,  if  they  were 
going  to  fail,  I  would  not  be  drawn  in.  Haight's  manner  was 
extremely  offensive,  but  Mr.  Page  tried  to  smooth  it  over,  say 
ing  they  had  had  a  bad  day's  run,  and  could  not  answer  for  the 
result  till  their  books  were  written  up. 

I  passed  back  again  into  the  room  where  the  before-named 
gentlemen  were  discussing  some  paper  which  lay  before  them, 
and  was  going  to  pass  out,  when  Captain  Folsom,  who  was  an 
officer  of  the  army,  a  class-mate  and  intimate  friend  of  mine, 
handed  me  the  paper  the  contents  of  which  they  were  discuss 
ing.  It  was  very  short,  and  in  Henry  Haight's  handwriting, 
pretty  much  in  these  terms :  "  "We,  the  undersigned  property- 
holders  of  San  Francisco,  having  personally  examined  the 
books,  papers,  etc.,  of  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.,  do  hereby  certify 
that  the  house  is  solvent  and  able  to  pay  all  its  debts,"  etc. 
Haight  had  drawn  up  and  asked  them  to  sign  this  paper,  with 
the  intention  to  publish  it  in  the  next  morning's  papers,  for 
effect.  While  I  was  talking  with  Captain  Folsom,  Haight  came 
into  the  room  to  listen.  I  admitted  that  the  effect  of  such  a 
publication  would  surely  be  good,  and  would  probably  stave  off 
immediate  demand  till  their  assets  could  be  in  part  converted  or 
realized ;  but  I  naturally  inquired  of  Folsom,  "  Have  you  per 
sonally  examined  the  accounts,  as  herein  recited,  and  the  assets, 
enough  to  warrant  your  signature  to  this  paper  ? "  for,  "  there 
by  you  in  effect  become  indorsers."  Folsom  said  they  had  not, 
when  Haight  turned  on  me  rudely  and  said,  "  Do  you  think  the 
affairs  of  such  a  house  as  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  can  be  critically 
examined  in  an  hour?"  I  answered:  "These  gentlemen  can 
do  what  they  please,  but  they  have  twelve  hours  before  the 
bank  will  open  on  the  morrow,  and  if  the  ledger  is  written  up  " 
(as  I  believed  it  was  or  could  be  by  midnight),  "they  can 
(by  counting  the  coin,  bullion  on  hand,  and  notes  or  stocks  of 
immediate  realization)  approximate  near  enough  for  them  to 
indorse  for  the  remainder."  But  Haight  pooh-poohed  me,  and 
I  left.  Folsom  followed  me  out,  told  me  he  could  not  afford 
to  imperil  all  he  had,  and  asked  my  advice.  I  explained  to 


112  CALIFORNIA.  [1855-'5T. 

him  that  my  partner  Nisbet  had  been  educated  and  trained  in 
that  very  house  of  Page,  Bacon  &  Co. ;  that  we  kept  our  books 
exactly  as  they  did ;  that  every  day  the  ledger  was  written  up,  so 
that  from  it  one  could  see  exactly  how  much  actual  money 
was  due  the  depositors  and  certificates;  and  then  by  counting 
the  money  in  the  vault,  estimating  the  bullion  on  hand,  which, 
though  not  actual  money,  could  easily  be  converted  into  coin, 
and  supplementing  these  amounts  by  "bills  receivable,"  they 
ought  to  arrive  at  an  approximate  result.  After  Folsom  had 
left  me,  John  Parrott  also  stopped  and  talked  with  me  to  the 
same  effect.  Next  morning  I  looked  out  for  the  notice,  but  no 
such  notice  appeared  in  the  morning  papers,  and  I  afterward 
learned  that,  on  Parrott  and  Folsom  demanding  an  actual  count 
of  the  money  in  the  vault,  Haight  angrily  refused  unless  they 
would  accept  his  word  for  it,  when  one  after  the  other  declined 
to  sign  his  paper. 

The  run  on  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  therefore  continued  through 
out  the  21st,  and  I  expected  all  day  to  get  an  invitation  to 
close  our  bank  for  the  next  day,  February  22,  which  we  could 
have  made  a  holiday  by  concerted  action ;  but  each  banker 
waited  for  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  to  ask  for  it,  and,  no  such  circular 
coming,  in  the  then  state  of  feeling  no  other  banker  was  willing 
to  take  the  initiative.  On  the  morning  of  February  22,  1855, 
everybody  was  startled  by  receiving  a  small  slip  of  paper,  de 
livered  at  all  the  houses,  on  which  was  printed  a  short  notice 
that,  for  "  want  of  coin,"  Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  found  it  necessaiy 
to  close  their  bank  for  a  short  time.  Of  course,  we  all  knew  the 
consequences,  and  that  every  other  bank  in  San  Francisco  would 
be  tried.  During  the  22d  we  all  kept  open,  and  watched  our 
depositors  closely ;  but  the  day  was  generally  observed  by  the 
people  as  a  holiday,  and  the  firemen  paraded  the  streets  of  San 
Francisco  in  unusual  strength.  But,  on  writing  up  our  books 
that  night,  we  found  that  our  deposit  account  had  diminished 
about  sixty-five  thousand  dollars.  Still,  there  was  no  run  on  us, 
or  any  other  of  the  banks,  that  day ;  yet,  observing  little  knots 
of  men  on  the  street,  discussing  the  state  of  the  banks  generally, 
and  overhearing  Haight's  expression  quoted,  that,  in  case  of  the 


1856-'5r.]  CALIFOKOTA.  113 

failure  of  Page,  Bacon  &  Co., "  all  the  other  banks  would  break," 
I  deemed  it  prudent  to  make  ready.  For  some  days  we  had  re 
fused  all  loans  and  renewals,  and  we  tried,  without  success,  some 
of  our  call-loans ;  but,  like  Hotspur's  spirits,  they  would  not  come. 

Our  financial  condition  on  that  day  (February  22,  1855) 
was :  Due  depositors  and  demand  certificates,  five  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  dollars  ;  to  meet  which,  we  had  in  the  vault — 
coin,  three  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dollars ;  bullion,  seven 
ty-five  thousand  dollars  ;  and  bills  receivable,  about  six  hundre'd 
thousand  dollars.  Of  these,  at  least  one  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars  were  on  demand,  with  stock  collaterals.  Therefore,  for  the 
extent  of  our  business,  we  were  stronger  than  the  Bank  of  Eng 
land,  or  any  bank  in  IS~ew  York  City. 

Before  daylight  next  morning,  our  door-bell  was  rung,  and 
I  was  called  down-stairs  by  E.  Casserly,  Esq.  (an  eminent  lawyer 
of  the  day,  since  United  States  Senator),  who  informed  me  he 
had  just  come  up  from  the  office  of  Adams  &  Co.,  to  tell  me 
that  their  affairs  were  in  such  condition  that  they  would  not  open 
that  morning  at  all ;  and  that  this,  added  to  the  suspension  of 
Page,  Bacon  &  Co.,  announced  the  day  before,  would  surely 
cause  a  general  run  on  all  the  banks.  I  informed  him  that  I 
expected  as  much,  and  was  prepared  for  it. 

In  going  down  to  the  bank  that  morning,  I  found  Montgom 
ery  Street  full ;  but,  punctually  to  the  minute,  the  bank  opened, 
and  in  rushed  the  crowd.  As  usual,  the  most  noisy  and  clamor 
ous  were  men  and  women  who  held  small  certificates ;  still, 
others  with  larger  accounts  were  in  the  crowd,  pushing  forward 
for  their  balances.  All  were  promptly  met  and  paid.  Several 
gentlemen  of  my  personal  acquaintance  merely  asked  my  word 
of  honor  that  their  money  was  safe,  and  went  away ;  others,  who 
had  large  balances,  and  no  immediate  use  for  coin,  gladly  ac 
cepted  gold-bars,  whereby  we  paid  out  the  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  of  bullion,  relieving  the  coin  to  that  amount. 

Meantime,  rumors  from  the  street  came  pouring  in  that 

Wright  &   Co.  had  failed;  then  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.;  then 

Palmer,  Cook  &  Co.,  and  indeed  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  banks 

of  the  city ;  and  I  was  told  that  parties  on  the  street  were  bet- 

8 


114:  CALEFOKNIA.  [1855-'6T. 

ting  high,  first,  tliat  we  would  close  our  doors  at  eleven  o'clock  ; 
then  twelve,  and  so  on  ;  but  we  did  not,  till  the  usual  hour  that 
night.  We  had  paid  every  demand,  and  still  had  a  respectable 
amount  left. 

This  run  on  the  bank  (the  only  one  I  ever  experienced)  pre 
sented  all  the  features,  serious  and  comical,  usual  to  such  occa 
sions.  At  our  counter  happened  that  identical  case,  narrated 
of  others,  of  the  Frenchman,  who  was  nearly  squeezed  to  death 
in  getting  to  the  counter,  and,  when  he  received  his  money,  did 
not  know  what  to  do  with  it.  "  If  you  got  the  money,  I  no 
want  him ;  but  if  you  no  got  him,  I  want  it  like  the  devil ! " 

Toward  the  close  of  the  day,  some  of  our  customers  depos 
ited,  rather,  ostentatiously,  small  amounts,  not  aggregating  more 
than  eight  or  ten  thousand  dollars.  Book-keepers  and  tellers 
were  kept  at  work  to  write  up  the  books ;  and  these  showed : 
Due  depositors  and  certificates,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  for  which  remained  of  coin  about  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  I  resolved  not  to  sleep  until  I  had  collected  from  those 
owing  the  bank  a  part  of  their  debts ;  for  I  was  angry  with  them 
that  they  had  stood  back  and  allowed  the  panic  to  fall  on  the 
banks  alone.  Among  these  were  Captain  Folsom,  who  owed  us 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  secured  by  a  mortgage  on  the 
American  Theatre  and  Tehama  Hotel ;  James  Smiley,  contractor 
for  building  the  Custom-House,  who  owed  us  two  notes  of  twenty 
thousand  and  sixteen  thousand  dollars,  for  which  we  held,  as  col 
lateral,  two  acceptances  of  the  collector  of  the  port,  Major  R.  P. 
Hammond,  for  twenty  thousand  dollars  each ;  besides  other  pri 
vate  parties  that  I  need  not  name.  The  acceptances  given  to 
Smiley  were  for  work  done  on  the  Custom-House,  but  could  not 
be  paid  until  the  work  was  actually  laid  in  the  walls,  and  certi 
fied  by  Major  Tower,  United  States  Engineers ;  but  Smiley  had 
an  immense  amount  of  granite,  brick,  iron,  etc.,  on  the  ground, 
in  advance  of  construction,  and  these  acceptances  were  given  him 
expressly  that  he  might  raise  money  thereon  for  the  payment  of 
such  materials. 

Therefore,  as  soon  as  I  got  my  dinner,  I  took  my  saddle- 
horse,  and  rode  to  Captain  Folsom's  house,  where  I  found  him 


1855-'67.]  CALIFORNIA.  115 

in  great  pain  and  distress,  mental  and  physical.  He  was  sitting 
in  a  ch#ir,  and  bathing  his  head  with  a  sponge.  I  explained  to 
him  the  object  of  my  visit,  and  he  said  he  had  expected  it,  and 
had  already  sent  his  agent,  Yan  Winkle,  down-town,  with  in 
structions  to  raise  what  money  he  could  at  any  cost ;  but  he  did 
not  succeed  in  raising  a  cent.  So  great  was  the  shock  to  public 
confidence,  that  men  slept  on  their  money,  and  would  not  loan 
it  for  ten  per  cent,  a  week,  on  any  security  whatever — even 
on  mint  certificates,  which  were  as  good  as  gold,  and  only  re 
quired  about  ten  days  to  be  paid  in  coin  by  the  United  States 
Mint.  I  then  rode  up  to  Hammond's  house,  on  Rincon  Hill, 
and  found  him  there.  I  explained  to  him  exactly  Smiley's  af 
fairs,  and  only  asked  him  to  pay  one  of  his  acceptances.  He 
inquired,  "  "Why  not  both  ? "  I  answered  that  was  so  much  the 
better ;  it  would  put  me  under  still  greater  obligations.  He 
then  agreed  to  meet  me  at  our  bank  at  10  p.  M.  I  sent  word  to 
others  that  I  demanded  them  to  pay  what  they  could  on  their 
paper,  and  then  returned  to  the  bank,  to  meet  Hammond.  In 
due  time,  he  came  down  with  Palmer  (of  Palmer,  Cook  & 
Co.),  and  there  he  met  Smiley,  who  was,  of  course,  very  anx 
ious  to  retire  his  notes.  •  We  there  discussed  the  matter  fully, 
when  Hammond  said,  "Sherman,  give  me  up  my  two  accept 
ances,  and  I  will  substitute  therefor  my  check  of.  forty  thou 
sand  dollars,"  with  "the  distinct  understanding  that,  if  the 
money  is  not  needed  by  you,  it  shall  be  returned  to  me,  and 
the  transaction  then  to  remain  statu  quo."  To  this  there  was  a 
general  assent.  Nisbet  handed  him  his  two  acceptances,  and  he 
handed  me  his  check,  signed  as  collector  of  the  port,  on  Major 
J.  R.  Snyder,  United  States  Treasurer,  for  forty  thousand  dollars. 
I  afterward  rode  out,  that  night,  to  Major  Snyder's  house  on 
North  Beach,  saw  him,  and  he  agreed  to  meet  me  at  8  A.  M. 
next  day,  at  the  United  States  Mint,  and  to  pay  the  check,  so 
that  I  could  have  the  money  before  the  bank  opened.  The  next 
morning,  as  agreed  on,  we  met,  and  he  paid  me  the  check  in  two 
sealed  bags  of  gold-coin,  each  marked  twenty  thousand  dollars, 
which  I  had  carried  to  the  bank,  but  never  opened  them,  or  even 
broke  the  seals. 


116  CALIFOENIA.  [1855-'57. 

That  morning  our  bank  opened  as  usual,  but  there  was  no 
appearance  of  a  continuation  of  the  "  run ; "  on  the  contrary, 
money  began  to  come  back  on  deposit,  so  that  by  night  we  had 
a  considerable  increase,  and  this  went  on  from  day  to  day,  till 
nearly  the  old  condition  of  things  returned.  After  about  three 
days,  finding  I  had  no  use  for  the  money  obtained  on  Ham 
mond's  check,  I  took  the  identical  two  bags  back  to  the  cashier 
of  the  Custom-House,  and  recovered  the  two  acceptances  which 
had  been  surrendered  as  described ;  and  Smiley's  two  notes  were 
afterward  paid  in  their  due  course,  out  of  the  cash  received  on 
those  identical  acceptances.  But,  years  afterward,  on  settling 
with  Hammond  for  the  Custom-House  contract  when  completed, 
there  was  a  difference,  and  Smiley  sued  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.  for 
money  had  and  received  for  his  benefit,  being  the  identical  forty 
thousand  dollars  herein  explained,  but  he  lost  his  case.  Ham 
mond,  too,  was  afterward  removed  from  office,  and  indicted  in 
part  for  this  transaction.  He  was  tried  before  the  United  States 
Circuit  Court,  Judge  McAlister  presiding,  for  a  violation  of  the 
sub-Treasury  Act,  but  was  acquitted.  Our  bank,  having  thus 
passed  so  well  through  the  crisis,  took  at  once  a  first  rank ;  but 
these  bank  failures  had  caused  so  many  mercantile  losses,  and 
had  led  to  such  an  utter  downfall  in  the  value  of  real  estate,  that 
everybody  lost  more  or  less  money  by  bad  debts,  by  deprecia 
tion  of  stocks  and  collaterals,  that  became  unsalable,  if  not 
worthless. 

About  this  time  (viz.,  February,  1855)  I  had  exchanged  my 
house  on  Green  Street,  with  Mr.  Sloat,  for  the  half  of  a  fifty- 
vara  lot  on  Harrison  Street,  between  Fremont  and  First,  on 
which  there  was  a  small  cottage,  and  I  had  contracted  for  the 
building  of  a  new  frame-house  thereon,  at  six  thousand  dollars. 
This  house  was  finished  on  the  9th  of  April,  and  my  family 
moved  into  it  at  once. 

For  some  time  Mrs.  Sherman  had  been  anxious  to  go  home 
to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where  we  had  left  our  daughter  Minnie,  with 
her  grandparents,  and  we  arranged  that  S.  M.  Bowman,  Esq., 
and  wife,  should  move  into  our  new  house  and  board  us,  viz., 
Lizzie,  Willie  with  the  nurse  Biddy,  and  myself,  for  a  fair  con- 


1855-'67J  CALIFORNIA.  117 

sideration.  It  so  happened  that  two  of  my  personal  friends, 
Messrs.  "Winters  and  Cunningham  of  Marysville,  and  a  young 
fellow  named  Eagan,  now  a  captain  in  the  Commissary  Depart 
ment,  were  going  East  in  the  steamer  of  the  middle  of  April, 
and  that  Mr.  William  H.  Aspinwall,  of  New  York,  and  Mr. 
Chauncey,  of  Philadelphia,  were. also  going  back;  and  they  all 
offered  to  look  to  the  personal  comfort  of  Mrs.  Sherman  on  the 
voyage.  They  took  passage  in  the  steamer  Golden  Age  (Com 
modore  Watkins),  which  sailed  on  April  17,  1855.  Their  pas 
sage  down  the  coast  was  very  pleasant  till  within  a  day's  dis 
tance  of  Panama,  when  one  bright  moonlit  night,  April  29th, 
the  ship,  running  at  full  speed,  between  the  Islands  Quibo  and 
Quicara,  struck  on  a  sunken  reef,  tore  out  a  streak  in  her 
bottom,  and  at  once  began  to  fill  with  water.  Fortunately 
she  did  not  stick  fast,  but  swung  off  into  deep  water,  and 
Commodore  Watkins  happening  to  be  on  deck  at  the  moment, 
walking  with  Mr.  Aspinwall,  learning  that  the  water  was 
rushing  in  with  great  rapidity,  gave  orders  for  a  full  head  of 
steam,  and  turned  the  vessel's  bow  straight  for  the  Island 
Quicara.  The  water  rose  rapidly  in  the  hold,  the  passengers 
were  all  assembled,  fearful  of  going  down,  the  fires  were  out, 
and  the  last  revolution  of  the  wheels  made,  when  her  bow 
touched  gently  on  the  beach,  and  the  vessel's  stern  sank  in  deep 
water.  Lines  were  got  out,  and  the  ship  held  in  an  upright  po 
sition,  so  that  the  passengers  were  safe,  and  but  little  incom 
moded.  I  have  often  heard  Mrs.  Sherman  tell  of  the  boy  Eagan, 
then  about  fourteen  years  old,  coming  to  her  state-room,  and 
calling  to  her  not  to  be  afraid,  as  he  was  a  good  swimmer ;  but 
on  coming  out  into  the  cabin,  partially  dressed,  she  felt  more  con 
fidence  in  the  cool  manner,  bearing,  and  greater  strength  of  Mr. 
"Winters.  There  must  have  been  nearly  a  thousand  souls  on  board 
at  the  time,  few  of  whom  could  have  been  saved  had  the  steamer 
gone  down  in  mid-channel,  which  surely  would  have  resulted, 
had  not  Commodore  Watkins  been  on  deck,  or  had  he  been  less 
prompt  in  his  determination  to  beach  his  ship.  A  sail-boat  was 
dispatched  toward  Panama,  which  luckily  met  the  steamer  John 
L.  Stephens,  just  coming  out  of  the  bay,  loaded  with  about  a 


118  CALIFORNIA.  [1855-'5T. 

thousand  passengers  bound  for  San  Francisco,  and  she  at  once 
proceeded  to  the  relief  of  the  Golden  Age.  Her  passengers 
were  transferred  in  small  boats  to  the  Stephens,  which  vessel, 
with  her  two  thousand  people  crowded  together  with  hardly 
standing-room,  returned  to  Panama,  whence  the  passengers  for 
the  East  proceeded  to  their  destination  without  further  delay. 
Luckily  for  Mrs.  Sherman,  Purser  Goddard,  an  old  Ohio  friend 
of  ours,  was  on  the  Stephens,  and  most  kindly  gave  up  his  own 
room  to  her,  and  such  lady  friends  as  she  included  in  her  party. 
The  Golden  Age  was  afterward  partially  repaired  at  Quicara, 
pumped  out,  and  steamed  to  Panama,  when,  after  further  re 
pairs,  she  resumed  her  place  in  the  line.  I  think  she  is  still  in 
existence,  but  Commodore  Watkins  afterward  lost  his  life  in 
China,  by  falling  down  a  hatchway. 

Mrs.  Sherman  returned  in  the  latter  part  of  November  of 
the  same  year,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowman,  who  meantime  had 
bought  a  lot  next  to  us  and  erected  a  house  thereon,  removed  to 
it,  and  we  thus  continued  close  neighbors  and  friends  until  we 
left  the  country  for  good  in  1857. 

During  the  summer  of  1856,  in  San  Francisco,  occurred  one 
of  those  unhappy  events,  too  common  to  new  countries,  in 
which  I  became  involved  in  spite  of  myself. 

"William  Keely  Johnson  was  Governor  of  California,  and  re 
sided  at  Sacramento  City ;  General  John  E.  Wool  commanded 
the  Department  of  California,  having  succeeded  General  Hitch 
cock,  and  had  his  headquarters  at  Benicia ;  and  a  Mr.  Yan  Ness 
was  mayor  of  the  city.  Politics  had  become  a  regular  and 
profitable  business,  and  politicians  were  more  than  suspected  of 
being  corrupt.  It  was  reported  and  currently  believed  that  the 
sheriff  (Scannell)  had  been  required  to  pay  the  Democratic  Central 
Committee  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  his  nomination,  which 
was  equivalent  to  an  election,  for  an  office  of  the  nominal  salary 
of  twelve  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  four  years.  In  the  election 
all  sorts  of  dishonesty  were  charged  and  believed,  especially  of 
"ballot-box  stuffing,"  and  top  generally  the  better  classes 
avoided  the  elections  and  dodged  jury-duty,  so  that  the  affairs 
of  the  city  government  necessarily  passed  into  the  hands  of  a 


1855-'57.j  .,  CALIFORNIA.  119 

low  set  of  professional  politicians.  Among  them  was  a  man 
named  James  Casey,  who  edited  a  small  paper,  the  printing- 
office  of  which  was  in  a  room  on  the  third  floor  of  our  banking- 
office.  I  hardly  knew  him.  by  sight,  and  rarely  if  ever  saw  his 
paper ;  but  one  day  Mr.  Sather,  of  the  excellent  banking  firm  of 
Drexel,  Sather  &  Church,  came  to  me,  and  called  my  attention 
to  an  article  in  Casey's  paper  so  full  of  falsehood  and  malice, 
that  we  construed  it  as  an  effort  to  black -mail  the  banks 
generally.  At  that  time  we  were  all  laboring  to  restore  con 
fidence,  which  had  been  so  rudely  shaken  by  the  panic,  and  I 
went  up-stairs,  found  Casey,  and  pointed  out  to  him  the  objec 
tionable  nature  of  his  article,  told  him  plainly  that  I  could  not 
tolerate  his  attempt  to  print  and  circulate  slanders  in  our 
building,  and,  if  he  repeated  it,  I  would  cause  him  and  his  press 
to  be  thrown  out  of  the  windows.  He  took  the  hint  and  moved 
to  more  friendly  quarters.  I  mention  this  fact,  to  show  my 
estimate  of  the  man,  who  became  a  figure  in  the  drama  I  am 
about  to  describe.  James  King  of  Wm.,  as  before  explained, 
was  in  1853  a  banker  on  his  own  account,  but  some  time  in  1854: 
he  had  closed  out  his  business,  and  engaged  with  Adams  &  Co., 
as  cashier.  "When  this  firm  failed,  he,  in  common  with  all  the 
employes,  was  thrown  out  of  employment,  and  had  to  look 
around  for  something  else.  He  settled  down  to  the  publication 
of  an  evening  paper,  called  the  Bulletin,  and,  being  a  man  of 
fine  manners  and  address,  he  at  once  constituted  himself  the 
champion  of  society  against  the  public  and  private  characters 
whom  he  saw  fit  to  arraign. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  this  soon  brought  him  into 
the  usual  newspaper  war  with  other  editors,  and  especially  with 
Casey,  and  epithets  a  Id  "  Eatanswill "  were  soon  bandying  back 
and  forth  between  them.  One  evening  of  May,  1856,  King 
published,  in  the  Bulletin,  copies  of  papers  procured  from  New 
York,  to  show  that  Casey  had  once  been  sentenced  to  the  State 
penitentiary  at  Sing  Sing.  Casey  took ,  mortal  offense,  and 
called  at  the  Bulletin  office,  on  the  corner  of  Montgomery  and 
Merchant  Streets,  where  he  found  King,  and  violent  words 
passed  between  them,  resulting  in  Casey  giving  King  notice 


120  CALIFORNIA.     «  [1855-'6T. 

that  lie  would  shoot  him  on  sight.  King  remained  in  his  office 
till  about  5  or  6  P.  M.,  when  he  started  toward  his  home  on 
Stockton  Street,  and,  as  he  neared  the  corner  of  Washington, 
Casey  approached  him  from  the  opposite  direction,  called  to  him, 
and  began  firing.  King  had  on  a  short  cloak,  and  in  his  breast 
pocket  a  small  pistol,  which  he  did  not  use.  One  of  Casey's 
shots  struck  him  high  up  in  the  breast,  from  which  he  reeled, 
was  caught  by  some  passing  friend,  and  carried  into  the  express- 
office  on  the  corner,  where  he  was  laid  on  the  counter,  and  a 
surgeon  sent  for.  Meantime,  Casey  escaped  up  Washington 
Street,  went  to  the  City  Hall,  and  delivered  himself  to  the 
sheriff  (Scannell),  who  conveyed  him  to  jail  and  locked  him  in  a 
cell.  Meantime,  the  news  spread  like  wildfire,  and  all  the  city 
was  in  commotion,  for  King  was  very  popular.  Nisbet,  who 
boarded  with  us  on  Harrison  Street,  had  been  delayed  at  the 
bank  later  than  usual,  so  that  he  happened  to  be  near  at  the 
time,  and,  when  he  came  out  to  dinner,  he  brought  me  the  news 
of  this  affair,  and  said  that  there  was  every  appearance  of  a  riot 
down-town  that  night.  This  occurred  toward  the  evening  of 
May  14,  1856. 

It  so  happened  that,  on  the  urgent  solicitation  of  Yan  Winkle 
and  of  Governor  Johnson,  I  had  only  a  few  days  before  agreed 
to  accept  the  commission  of  major-general  of  the  Second  Division 
of  Militia,  embracing  San  Francisco.  I  had  received  the  com 
mission,  but  had  not  as  yet  formally  accepted  it,  or  even  put 
myself  in  communication  with  the  volunteer  companies  of  the 
city.  Of  these,  at  that  moment  of  time,  there  was  a  company 
of  artillery  with  four  guns,  commanded  by  a  Captain  Johns, 
formerly  of  the  army,  and  two  or  three  uniformed  companies  of 
infantry.  After  dinner  I  went  down-town  to  see  what  was 
going  on;  found  that  King  had  been  removed  to  a  room  in  the 
Metropolitan  Block ;  that  his  life  was  in  great  peril ;  that  Casey 
was  safe  in  jail,  and  the  sheriff  had  called  to  his  assistance  a 
posse  of  the  city  police,  some  citizens,  and  one  of  the  militia 
companies.  The  people  were  gathered  in  groups  on  the  streets, 
and  the  words  "  Vigilance  Committee  "  were  freely  spoken,  but 
I  saw  no  signs  of  immediate  violence.  The  next  morning,  I 


1855-'57.]  CALIFORNIA.  121 

again  went  to  the  jail,  and  found  all  things  quiet,  but  the  militia 
had  withdrawn.  I  then  went  to  the  City  Hall,  saw  the  mayor, 
Van  Kess,  and  some  of  the  city  officials,  agreed  to  do  what  I 
could  to  maintain  order  with  such  militia  as  were  on  hand,  and 
then  formally  accepted  the  commission,  and  took  the  "  oath." 
In  1851  (when  I  was  not  in  California)  there  had  been  a  Vigi 
lance  Committee,  and  it  was  understood  that  its  organization 
still  existed.  All  the  newspapers  took  ground  in  favor  of  the 
Vigilance  Committee,  except  the  Herald  (John  Nugent,  editor), 
and  nearly  all  the  best  people  favored  that  means  of  redress. 
I  could  see  they  were  organizing,  hiring  rendezvous,  collecting 
arms,  etc.,  without  concealment.  It  was  soon  manifest  that 
the  companies  of  volunteers  would  go  with  the  "committee," 
and  that  the  public  authorities  could  not  rely  on  them  for  aid  or 
defense.  Still,  there  were  a  good  many  citizens  who  contended 
that,  if  the  civil  authorities  were  properly  sustained  by  the 
people  at  large,  they  could  and  would  execute  the  law.  But  the 
papers  inflamed  the  public  mind,  and  the  controversy  spread 
to  the  country.  About  the  third  day  after  the  shooting  of 
King,  Governor  Johnson  telegraphed  me  that  he  would  be  down 
in  the  evening  boat,  and  asked  me  to  meet  him  on  arrival  for 
consultation.  I  got  C.  K.  Garrison  to  go  with  me,  and  we  met 
the  Governor  and  his  brother  on  the  wharf,  and  walked  up 
to  the  International  Hotel  on  Jackson  Street,  above  Mont 
gomery.  We  discussed  the  state  of  affairs  fully ;  and  Johnson, 
on  learning  that  his  particular  friend,  "William  T.  Coleman,  was 
the  president  of  the  Vigilance  Committee,  proposed  to  go  and 
see  him.  En  route  we  stopped  at  King's  room,  ascertained  that 
he  was  slowly  sinking,  and  could  not  live  long ;  and  then  near 
midnight  we  walked  to  the  Turnverein  Hall,  where  the  com 
mittee  was  known  to  be  sitting  in  consultation.  This  hall  was 
on  Bush  Street,  at  about  the  intersection  of  Stockton.  It  was 
all  lighted  up  within,  but  the  door  was  locked. 

The  Governor  knocked  at  the  door,  and  on  inquiry  from  in 
side — "  Who's  there  ? " — gave  his  name.  After  some  delay  we 
were  admitted  into  a  sort  of  vestibule,  beyond  which  was  a  large 
hall,  and  we  could  hear  the  suppressed  voices  of  a  multitude. 


122  CALIFOKNTA.  [1855-'67. 

"VYe  were  shown  into  a  bar-room  to  the  right,  when  the  Governor 
asked  to  see  Coleman.  The  man  left  us,  went  into  the  main 
hall,  and  soon  returned  with  Coleman,  who  was  pale  and  agitated. 
After  shaking  hands  all  round,  the  Governor  said,  "  Coleman, 
what  the  devil  is  the  matter  here  ? "  .  Coleman  said,  "  Governor, 
it  is  time  this  shooting  on  our  streets  should  stop."  The  Gov 
ernor  replied,  "  I  agree  with  you  perfectly,  and  have  come  down 
from  Sacramento  to  assist."  Coleman  rejoined  that  "  the  peo 
ple  were  tired  of  it,  and  had  no  faith  in  the  officers  of  the  law." 
A  general  conversation  then  followed,  in  which  it  was  admitted 
that  King  would  die,  and  that  Casey  must  be  executed ;  but  the 
manner  of  execution  was  the  thing  to  be  settled,  Coleman  con 
tending  that  the  people  would  do  it  without  trusting  the  courts 
or  the  sheriff.  .  It  so  happened  that  at  that  time  Judge  Norton 
was  on  the  bench  of  the  court  having  jurisdiction,  and  he  was 
universally  recognized  as  an  able  and  upright  man,  whom  no 
one  could  or  did  mistrust ;  and  it  also  happened  that  a  grand- 
jury  was  then  in  session.  Johnson  argued  that  the  time  had 
passed  in  California  for  mobs  and  vigilance  committees,  and 
said  if  Coleman  and  associates  would  use  their  influence  to  sup 
port  the  law,  he  (the  Governor)  would  undertake  that,  as  soon 
as  King  died,  the  grand-jury  should  indict,  that  Judge  Norton 
would  try  the  murderer,  and  the  whole  proceeding  should  be  as 
speedy  as  decency  would  allow.  Then  Coleman  said  "  the  peo 
ple  had  no  confidence  in  Scannell,  the  sheriff,"  who  was,  he  said, 
in  collusion  with  the  rowdy  element  of  San  Francisco.  Johnson 
then  offered  to  be  personally  responsible  that  Casey  should  be 
safely  guarded,  and  should  be  forthcoming  for  trial  and  execu 
tion  at  the  proper  time.  I  remember  very  well  Johnson's  asser 
tion  that  he  had  no  right  to  make  these  stipulations,  and  maybe 
no  power  to  fulfill  them ;  but  he  did  it  to  save  the  city  and 
state  from  the  disgrace  of  a  mob.  .  Coleman  disclaimed  that  the 
vigilance  organization  was  a  "  mob,"  admitted  that  the  proposi 
tion  of  the  Governor  was  fair,  and  all  he  or  any  one  should 
ask ;  and  added,  if  we  would  wait  awhile,  he  would  submit  it  to 
the  council,  and  bring  back  an  answer. 

"We  waited  nearly  an  hour,  and  could  hear  the  hum  of  voices 


1855-'5T.]  CALIFORNIA.  123 

in  the  hall,  but  no  words,  when  Coleman  came  back,  accom 
panied  by  a  committee,  of  which  I  think  the  two  brothers  Ar 
lington,  Thomas  Smiley  the  auctioneer,  Seymour,  Truett,  and 
others,  were  members.  The  whole  conversation  was  gone  over 
again,  and  the  Governor's  proposition  was  positively  agreed  to, 
with  this  further  condition,  that  the  Yigilance  Committee  should 
send  into  the  jail  a  small  force  of  their  own  men,  to  make  cer 
tain  that  Casey  should  not  be  carried  off  or  allowed  to  escape. 

The  Governor,  his  brother  William,  Garrison,  and  I,  then 
went  up  to  the  jail,  where  we  found  the  sheriff  and  his  posse- 
comitatus  of  police  and  citizens.  These  were  styled  the  "  Law- 
and-Order  party,"  and  some  of  them  took  offense  that  the  Gov 
ernor  should  have  held  communication  with  the  "  damned  rebels," 
and  several  of  them  left  the  jail ;  but  the  sheriff  seemed  to  agree 
with  the  Governor  that  what  he  had  done  was  right  and  best ; 
and,  while  we  were  there,  some  eight  or  ten  armed  men  arrived 
from  the  Yigilance  Committee,  and  were  received  by  the  sheriff 
(Seannell)  as  a  part  of  his  regular  posse. 

The  Governor  then,  near  daylight,  went  to  his  hotel,  and  I 
to  my  house  for  a  short  sleep.  Next  day  I  was  at  the  bank,  as 
usual,  when  about  noon  the  Governor  called,  and  asked  me  to 
walk  with  him  down-street.  He  said  he  had  just  received  a 
message  from  the  Yigilance  Committee  to  the  effect  that  'they 
were  not  bound  by  Coleman's  promise  not  to  do  any  thing  till 
the  regular  trial  by  jury  should  be  had,  etc.  He  was  with  reason 
furious,  and  asked  me  to  go  with  him  to  Truett's  store,  over 
which  the  Executive  Committee  was  said  to  be  in  session.  We 
were  admitted  to  a  front-room  up-stairs,  and  heard  voices  in  the 
back-room.  The  Governor  inquired  for  Coleman,  but  he  was 
not  forthcoming.  Another  of  the  committee,  Seymour,  met  us, 
denied  in  toto  the  promise  of  the  night  before,  and  the  Governor 
openly  accused  him  of  treachery  and  falsehood. 

The  quarrel  became  public,  and  the  newspapers  took  it  up, 
both  parties  turning  on  the  Governor ;  one,  the  Yigilantes,  deny 
ing  the  promise  made  by  Coleman,  their  president;  and  the 
other,  the  "  Law-and-Order  party,"  refusing  any  further  assist 
ance,  because  Johnson  had  stooped  to  make  terms  with  rebels. 


124  OALIFOENIA.  [1855-'5T. 

At  all  events,  he  was  powerless,  and  had  to  let  matters  drift  to 
a  conclusion. 

King  died  about  Friday,  May  20th,  and  the  funeral  was  ap 
pointed  for  the  next  Sunday.  Early  on  that  day  the  Governor 
sent  for  me  at  my  house.  I  found  him  on  the  roof  of  the  Inter 
national,  from  which  we  looked  down  on  the  whole  city,  and 
more  especially  the  face  of  Telegraph  Hill,  which  was  already 
covered  with  a  crowd  of  people,  while  others  were  moving  tow 
ard  the  jail  on  Broadway.  Parties  of  armed  men,  in  good  order, 
were  marching  by  platoons  in  the  same  direction,  and  formed  in 
line  along  Broadway,  facing  the  jail-door.  Soon  a  small  party 
was  seen  to  advance  to  this  door,  and  knock ;  a  parley  ensued, 
the  doors  were  opened,  and  Casey  was  led  put.  In  a  few 
minutes  another  prisoner  was  brought  out,  who  proved  to  be 
Cora,  a  man  who  had  once  been  tried  for  killing  Richardson, 
the  United  States  Marshal,  when  the  jury  disagreed,  and  he 
was  awaiting  a  new  trial.  These  prisoners  were  placed  in  car 
riages,  and  escorted  by  the  armed-  force  down  to  the  rooms  of  the 
Vigilance  Committee,  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  city. 
The  day  was  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  the  whole  proceeding 
was  orderly  in  the  extreme.  I  was  under  the  impression  that 
Casey  and  Cora  were  hanged  that  same  Sunday,  but  was  prob 
ably  in  error ;  but  in  a  very  few  days  they  were  hanged  by  the 
neck — dead — suspended  from  beams  projecting  from  the  win 
dows  of  the  committee's  rooms,  without  other  trial  than  could 
be  given  in  secret,  and  by  night. 

We  all  thought  the  matter  had  ended  there,  and  accordingly 
the  Governor  returned  to  Sacramento  in  disgust,  and  I  went 
about  my  business.  But  it  soon  became  manifest  that  the  Vigi 
lance  Committee  had  no  intention  to  surrender  the  power  thus 
usurped.  They  took  a  building  on  Clay  Street,  near  Front, 
fortified  it,  employed  guards  and  armed  sentinels,  sat  in  mid 
night  council,  issued  writs  of  arrest  and  banishment,  and  utterly 
ignored  all  authority  but  their  own.  A  good  many  men  were 
banished  and  forced  to  leave  the  country,  but  they  were  of  that 
class  we  could  well  spare.  Yankee  Sullivan,  a  prisoner  in  their 
custody,  committed  suicide,  and  a  feeling  of  general  insecurity 


1855-'57.J  ,        CALIFORNIA.  125 

pervaded  the  city.  Business  was  deranged ;  and  the  Bulletin, 
then  under  control  of  Tom  King,  a  brother  of  James,  poured 
out  its  abuse  on  some  of  our  best  men,  as  well  as  the  worst. 
Governor  Johnson,  being  again  appealed  to,  concluded  to  go  to 
work  regularly,  and  telegraphed  me  about  the  1st  of  June  to 
meet  him  at  General  Wool's  headquarters  at  Benicia  that  night. 
I  went  up,  and  we  met  at  the  hotel  where  General  Wool  was 
boarding.  Johnson  had  with  him  his  Secretary  of  State.  "We 
discussed  the  state  of  the  country  generally,  and  I  had  agreed 
that  if  Wool  would  give  us  arms  and  ammunition  out  of  the 
United  States  Arsenal  at  Benicia,  and  if  Commodore  Farragut, 
of  the  navy,  commanding  the  navy-yard  on  Mare  Island,  would 
give  us  a  ship,  I  would  call  out  volunteers,  and,  when  a  suffi 
cient  number  had  responded,  I  would  have  the  arms  come  down 
from  Benicia  in  the  ship,  arm  my  men,  take  possession  of  a 
thirty-two-pound-gun  battery  at  the  Marine  Hospital  on  Rincon 
Point,  thence  command  a  dispersion  of  the  unlawfully-armed 
force  of  the  Vigilance  Committee,  and  arrest  some  of  the  leaders. 
We  played  cards  that  night,  carrying  on  a  conversation,  in 
which  Wool  insisted  on  a  proclamation  commanding  the  Yigi- 
lance  Committee  to  disperse,  etc.,  and  he  told  us  how  he  had  on 
some  occasion,  as  far  back  as  1814,  suppressed  a  mutiny  on  the 
Northern  frontier.  I  did  not  understand  him  to  make  any  dis 
tinct  promise  of  assistance  that  night,  but  he  invited  us  to 
accompany  him  on  an  inspection  of  the  arsenal  the  next  day, 
which  we  did.  On  handling  some  rifled  muskets  in  the  arse 
nal  storehouse  he  asked  me  how  they  would  answer  our  pur 
pose.  I  said  they  were  the  very  things,  and  that  we  did  not 
want  cartridge  boxes  or  belts,  but  that  I  would  have  the  car 
tridges  carried  in  the  breeches-pockets,  and  the  caps  in  the  vest- 
pockets.  I  knew  that  there  were  stored  in  that  arsenal  four 
thousand  muskets,  for  I  recognized  the  boxes  which  we  had 
carried  out  in  the  Lexington  around  Cape  Horn  in  1846.  After 
ward  we  all  met  at  the  quarters  of  Captain  D.  R.  Jones  of  the 
army,  and  I  saw  the  Secretary  of  State,  D.  F.  Douglass,  Esq., 
walk  out  with  General  Wool  in  earnest  conversation,  and  this 
Secretary  of  State  afterward  asserted  that  Wool  there  and  then 


12C  CALIFORNIA.  [1855-'57. 

promised  us  the  arms  and  ammunition,  provided  the  Governor 
would  make  his  proclamation  for  the  committee  to  disperse,  and 
that  I  should  afterward  call  out  the  militia,  etc.  On  the  way 
back  to  the  hotel  at  Benicia,  General  "Wool,  Captain  Callendar 
of  the  arsenal,  and  I,  were  walking  side  by  side,  and  I  was  tell 
ing  him  (General  Wool)  that  I  would  also  need  some  ammuni 
tion  for  the  thirty-two-pound  guns  then  in  position  at  Rincon 
Point,  when  Wool  turned  to  Callendar  and  inquired,  "  Did  I 
not  order  those  guns  to  be  brought  away?"  Callendar  said: 
"  Yes,  general.  I  made  a  requisition  on  the  quartermaster  for 
transportation,  but  his  schooner  has  been  so  busy  that  the  guns 
are  still  there."  Then  said  Wool :  "  Let  them  remain ;  we  may 
have  use  for  them."  .  I  therefrom  inferred,  of  course,  that  it  was 
all  agreed  to  so  far  as  he  was  concerned. 

Soon  after  we  had  reached  the  hotel,  we  ordered  a  buggy, 
and  Governor  Johnson  and  I  drove  to  Yallejo,  six  miles,  crossed 
over  to  Mare  Island,  and  walked  up  to  the  commandant's  house, 
where  we  found  Commodore  Farragut  and  his  family.  We 
stated  our  business  fairly,  but  the  commodore  answered  very 
frankly  that  he  had  no  authority,  without  orders  from  his  depart 
ment,  to  take  any  part  in  civil  broils ;  he  doubted  the  wisdom 
of  the  attempt ;  said  he  had  no  ship  available  except  the  John 
Adams,  Captain  Bout  well,  and  that  she  needed  repairs.  But  he 
assented  at  last  to  the  proposition  to  let  the  sloop  John  Adams 
drop  down  abreast  of  the  city  after  certain  repairs,  to  lie  off 
there  for  moral  effect,  which  afterward  actually  occurred. 

We  then  returned  to  Benicia,  and  Wool's  first  question  was, 
"  What  luck  ? "  We  answered,  "  Not  much,"  and  explained  what 
Commodore  Farragut  could  and  would  do,  and  that,  instead  of 
having  a  naval  vessel,  we  would  seize  and  use  one  of  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company's  steamers,  lying  at  their  dock  in  Benicia,  to 
carry  down  to  San  Francisco  the  arms  and  munitions  when  the 
time  came. 

As  the  time  was  then  near  at  hand  for  the  arrival  of  the 
evening  boats,  we  all  walked  down  to  the  wharf  together,  where 
I  told  Johnson  that  he  could  not  be  too  careful ;  that  I  had  not 
heard  General  Wool  make  a  positive  promise  of  assistance. 


1865-'67.]  CALIFOKNIA.  127 

Upon  this,  Johnson  called  General  "Wool  to  one  side,  and  we 
three  drew  together.  Johnson  said :  "  General  "Wool,  General 
Sherman  is  very  particular,  and  wants  to  know  exactly  what 
you  propose  to  do."  Wool  answered :  "  I  understand,  Governor, 
that  in  the  first  place  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  will  be  issued 
commanding  the  jailers  of  the  Vigilance  Committee  to  produce 
the  body  of  some  one  of  the  prisoners  held  by  them  (which,  of 
course,  will  be  refused) ;  that  you  then  issue  your  proclamation 
commanding  them  to  disperse,  and,  failing  this,  you  will  call 
out  the  militia,  and  command  General  Sherman  with  it  to  sup 
press  the  Yigilance  Committee  as  an  unlawful  body ; "  to  which 
the  Governor  responded,  "  Yes."  "  Then,"  said  Wool,  "  on  Gen 
eral  Sherman's  making  his  requisition,  approved  by  you,  I  will 
order  the  issue  of  the  necessary  arms  and  ammunition."  I  re 
member  well  that  I  said,  emphatically :  "  That  is  all  I  want. — 
Now,  Governor,  you  may  go  ahead."  "We  soon  parted ;  John 
son  and  Douglas  taking  the  boat  to  Sacramento,  and  I  to  San 
Francisco. 

The  Chief-Justice,  Terry,  came  to  San  Francisco  the  next 
day,  issued  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  for  the  body  of  one  Maloney, 
which  writ  was  resisted,  as  we  expected.  The  Governor  then 
issued  his  proclamation,  and  I  published  my  orders,  dated  June 
4,  1855.  The  Quartermaster-General  of  the  State,  General 
Kibbe,  also  came  to  San  Francisco,  took  an  office  in  the  City 
Hall,  engaged  several  rooms  for  armories,  and  soon  the  men  be 
gan  to  enroll  into  companies.  In  my  general  orders  calling  out 
the  militia,  I  used  the  expression,  "  "When  a  sufficient  number 
of  men  are  enrolled,  arms  and  ammunition  will  be  supplied." 
Some  of  the  best  men  of  the  "  Vigilantes  "  came  to  me  and  re 
monstrated,  saying  that  collision  would  surely  result ;  that  it 
would  be  terrible,  etc.  All  I  could  say  in  reply  was,  that  it  was 
for  them  to  get  out  of  the  way.  "  Remove  your  fort ;  cease 
your  midnight  councils ;  and  prevent  your  armed  bodies  from 
patrolling  the  streets."  They  inquired  where  I  was  to  get  arms, 
and  I  answered  that  I  had  them  certain.  But  personally  I  went 
right  along  with  my  business  at  the  bank,  conscious  that  at  any 
moment  we  might  have  trouble.  Another  committee  of  citi- 


128  CALIFORNIA.  [1855-'57. 

zens,   a  conciliatory  body,  was  formed  to  prevent  collision  if 
possible,  and  the  newspapers  boiled  over  with  vehement  vitu 
peration.      This  second  committee  was  composed  of  such  men 
as  Crockett,  Ritchie,  Thornton,  Bailey  Peyton,  Foote,  Donohue, 
Kelly,  and  others,  a  class  of  the  most  intelligent  and  wealthy 
men  of  the  city,  who  earnestly  and  honestly  desired  to  prevent 
bloodshed.     They  also  came  to  me,  and  I  told  them  that  our 
men  were  enrolling  very  fast,  and  that,  when  I  deemed  the  right 
moment  had  come,  the  Vigilance  Committee  must  disperse,  else 
bloodshed  and  destruction  of  property  would  inevitably  follow. 
They  also  had  discovered  that  the  better  men  of  the  Yigilance 
Committee  itself  were  getting  tired  of  the  business,  and  thought 
that  in  the  execution  of  Casey  and  Cora,  and  the  banishment  of 
a  dozen  or  more  rowdies,  they  had  done  enough,  and  were  then 
willing  to  stop.    It  was  suggested  that,  if  our  Law-and-Order 
party  would  not  arm,  by  a  certain  day  near  at  hand  the  com 
mittee  would  disperse,  and  some  of  their  leaders  would  sub 
mit  to  an  indictment  and  trial  by  a  jury  of  citizens,  which  they 
knew  would  acquit  them  of  crime.     One  day  in  the  bank  a  man 
called  me  to  the  counter  and  said,  "  If  you  expect  to  get  arms  of 
General  Wool,  you  will  be  mistaken,  for  I  was  at  Benicia  yes 
terday,  and  heard  him  say  he  would  not  give  them."     This  per 
son  was  known  to  me  to  be  a  man  of  truth,  and  I  immediately 
wrote  to  General  "Wool  a  letter  telling  him  what  I  had  heard,  and 
how  any  hesitation  on  his  part  would  compromise  me  as  a  man 
of  truth  and  honor ;  adding  that  I  did  not  believe  we  should  ever 
need  the  arms,  but  only  the  promise  of  them,  for  "  the  com 
mittee  was  letting  down,  and  would  soon  disperse  and  submit  to 
the  law,"  etc.     I  further  asked  him  to  answer  me  categorically 
that  very  night,  by  the  Stockton  boat,  which  would  pass  Benicia 
on  its  way  down  about  midnight,  and  I  would  sit  up  and  wait 
for  his  answer.      I  did  wait  for  his  letter,  but  it  did  not  come, 
and  the  next  day  I  got  a  telegraphic  dispatch  from  Governor 
Johnson,  who,  at  Sacramento,  had  also  heard  of  General  Wool's 
"back-down."    asking  me  to  meet  him  again  at  Benicia  that 
night. 

I  went  up  in  the  evening  boat,  and  found  General  "Wool's 


1855-'57J  CALIFORNIA.  129 

aide-de-camp,  Captain  Arnold,  of  the  army,  on  the  wharf,  with 
a  letter  in  his  hand,  which  he  said  was  for  me.  I  asked  for  it, 
but  he  said  he  knew  its  importance,  and  preferred  we  should  go 
to  General  Wool's  room  together,  and  the  general  could  hand  it 
to  me  in  person.  We  did  go  right  up  to  General  Wool's,  who 
took  the  sealed  parcel  and  laid  it  aside,  saying  that  it  was  lit 
erally  a  copy  of  one  he  had  sent  to  Governor  Johnson,  who 
would  doubtless  give  me  a  copy ;  but  I  insisted  that  I  had  made 
a  written  communication,  and  was  entitled  to  a  written  answer. 
At  that  moment  several  gentlemen  of  the  "Conciliation 
party,"  who  had  come  up  in  the  same  steamer  with  me,  asked 
for  admission  and  came  in.  I  recall  the  names  of  Crockett, 
Foote,  Bailey  Peyton,  Judge  Thornton,  Donohue,  etc.,  and  the 
conversation  became  general,  Wool  trying  to  explain  away  the 
effect  of  our  misunderstanding,  taking  good  pains  not  to  deny 
his  promise  made  to  me  personally  on  the  wharf.  I  renewed 
my  application  for  the  letter  addressed  to  me,  then  lying  on 
his  table.  On  my  statement  of  the  case,  Bailey  Peyton  said, 
"  General  Wool,  I  think  General  Sherman  has  a  right  to  a  writ 
ten  answer  from  you,  for  he  is  surely  compromised."  Upon  this 
Wool  handed  me  the  letter.  I  opened  and  read  it,  and  it  denied 
any  promise  of  arms,  but  otherwise  was  extremely  evasive  and 
non-committal.  I  had  heard  of  the  arrival  at  the  wharf  of 
the  Governor  and  party,  and  was  expecting  them  at  Wool's  room, 
but,  instead  of  stopping  at  the  hotel  where  we  were,  they  passed 
to  another  hotel  on  the  block  above.  I  went  up  and  found 
there,  in  a  room  on  the  second  floor  over  the  bar-room,  Gov 
ernor  Johnson,  Chief-Justice  Terry,  Jones,  of  Palmer,  Cooke 
&  Co.,  E.  D.  Baker,  Yolney  E.  Howard,  and  one  or  two  others. 
All  were  talking  furiously  against  Wool,  denouncing  him  as 
a  d-» — d  liar,  and  not  sparing  the  severest  terms.  I  i  showed 
the  Governor  General  Wool's  letter  to  me,  which  he  said  was 
in  effect  the  same  as  the  one  addressed  to  and  received  by 
him  at  Sacramento.  He  was  so  offended  that  he  would  not 
even  call  on  General  Wool,  and  said  he  would  never  again 
recognize  him  as  an  officer  or  gentleman.  We  discussed  mat 
ters  generally,  and  Judge  Terry  said  that  the  Yigilance  Com- 
9 


130  CALIFOKNIA.  [1855-'57. 

mittee  were  a  set  of  d d  pork-merchants ;  that  they  were 

getting  scared,  and  that  General  "Wool  was  in  collusion  with 
them  to  bring  the  State  into  contempt,  etc.  I  explained  that 
there  were  no  arms  in  the  State  except  what  General  "Wool  had, 
or  what  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Vigilance  Committee  of  San 
Francisco,  and  that  the  part  of  wisdom  for  us  was  to  be  patient 
and  cautious.  About  that  time  Crockett  and  his  associates  sent 
up  their  cards,  but  Terry  and  the  more  violent  of  the  Governor's 
followers  denounced  them  as  no  better  than  "  Yigilantes,"  and 
wanted  the  Governor  to  refuse  even  to  receive  them.  I  ex 
plained  that  they  were  not  "  Yigilantes,"  that  Judge  Thornton 
was  a  "  Law-and-Order  "  man,  was  one  of  the  first  to  respond  to 
the  call  of  the  sheriff,  and  that  he  went  actually  to  the  jail  with 
his  one  arm  the  night  we  expected  the  first  attempt  at  rescue, 
etc.  Johnson  then  sent  word  for  them  to  reduce  their  business 
to  writing.  They  simply  sent  in  a  written  request  for  an  au 
dience,  and  they  were  then  promptly  admitted.  After  some 
general  conversation,  the  Governor  said  he  was  prepared  to  hear 
them,  when  Mr.  Crockett  rose  and  made  a  prepared  speech  em 
bracing  a  clear  and  fair  statement  of  the  condition  of  things 
in  San  Francisco,  concluding  with  the  assertion  of  the  willing 
ness  of  the  committee  to  disband  and  submit  to  trial  after  a  cer 
tain  date  not  very  remote.  All  the  time  Crockett  was  speaking, 
Terry  sat  with  his  hat  on,  drawn  over  his  eyes,  and  with  his  feet 
on  a  table.  As  soon  as  Crockett  was  through,  they  were  dis 
missed,  and  Johnson  began  to  prepare  a  written  answer.  This 
was  scratched,  altered,  and  amended,  to  suit  the  notions  of  his 
counselors,  and  at  last  was  copied  and  sent.  This  answer 
amounted  to  little  or  nothing.  Seeing  that  we  were  powerless 
for  good,  and  that  violent  counsels  would  prevail  under  the  influ 
ence  of  Terry  and  others,  I  sat  down  at  the  table,  and  wrote  my 
resignation,  which  Johnson  accepted  in  a  complimentary  note  on 
the  spot,  and  at  the  same  time  he  appointed  to  my  place  General 
Volney  E.  Howard,  then  present,  a  lawyer  who  had  once  been  a 
member  of  Congress  from  Texas,  and  who  was  expected  to  drive 
the  d— — d  pork-merchants  into  the  bay  at  short  notice. 

I  went  soon  after  to  General  Wool's  room,  where  I  found 


1855-'5T.]  CALIFORNIA.  131 

Crockett  and  the  rest  of  his  party  ;  told  them  that  I  was  out  of 
the  fight,  having  resigned  my  commission ;  that  I  had  neglected 
business  that  had  been  intrusted  to  me  by  my  St.  Louis  part 
ners  ;  and  that  I  would  thenceforward  mind  my  own  business, 
and  leave  public  affairs  severely  alone.  We  all  returned  to-  San 
Francisco  that  night  by  the  Stockton  boat,  and  I  never  after 
ward  had  any  thing  to  do  with  politics  in  California,  perfectly 
satisfied  with  that  short  experience.  Johnson  and  Wool  fought 
out  their  quarrel  of  veracity  in  the  newspapers  and  on  paper. 
But,  in  my  opinion,  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  that  General 
Wool  did  deliberately  deceive  us ;  that  he  had  authority  to  issue 
arms,  and  that,  had  he  adhered  to  his  promise,,  we  could  have 
checked  the  committee  before  it  became  a  fixed  institution,  and 
a  part  of  the  common  law  of  California.  Major-General  Yolney 
E.  Howard  came  to  San  Francisco  soon  after ;  continued  the 
organization  of  militia  which  I  had  begun ;  succeeded  in  getting 
a  few  arms  from  the  country ;  but  one  day  the  Yigilance  Com 
mittee  sallied  from  their  armories,  captured  the  arms  of  the 
"Law -and -Order  party,"  put  some  of  their  men  into  prison, 
while  General  Howard,  with  others,  escaped  to  the  country; 
after  which  the  Yigilance  Committee  had  it  all  their  own  way. 
Subsequently,  in  July,  1856,  they  arrested  Chief -Justice  Terry, 
and  tried  him  for  stabbing  one  of  their  constables,  but  he  man 
aged  to  escape  at  night,  and  took  refuge  on  the  John  Adams. 
In  August,  they  hanged  Hetherington  and  Brace  in  broad  day 
light,  without  any  jury-trial ;  and,  soon  after,  they  quietly  dis 
banded.  As  they  controlled  the  press,  they  wrote  their  own 
history,  and  the  world  generally  gives  them  the  credit  of  having 
purged  San  Francisco  of  rowdies  and  roughs ;  but  their  success 
has  given  great  stimulus  to  a  dangerous  principle,  that  would  at 
any  time  justify  the  mob  in  seizing  all  the  power  of  government ; 
and  who  is  to  say  that  the  Yigilance  Committee  may  not  be  com 
posed  of  the  worst,  instead  of  the  best,  elements  of  a  community  ? 
Indeed,  in  San  Francisco,  as  soon  as  it  was  demonstrated  that 
the  real  power  had  passed  from  the  City  Hall  to  the  committee- 
room,  the  same  set  of  bailiffs,  constables,  and  rowdies  that  had 
infested  the  City  Hall  were  found  in  the  employment  of  the 


132  CALIFORNIA.  [1855-'57. 

"  Yigilantes ; "  and,  after  three  months'  experience,  the  better 
class  of  people  became  tired  of  the  midnight  sessions  and  left 
the  business  and  power  of  the  committee  in  the  hands  of  a 
court,  of  which  a  Sydney  man  was  reported  to  be  the  head  or 
chief-justice. 

During  the  winter  of  1855-'56,  and  indeed  throughout  the 
year  1856,  all  kinds  of  business  became  unsettled  in  California. 
The  mines  continued  to  yield  about  fifty  millions  of  gold  a  year ; 
but  little  attention  was  paid  to  agriculture  or  to  any  business 
other  than  that  of  "  mining,"  and,  as  the  placer-gold  was  becom 
ing  worked  out,  the  miners  were  restless  and  uneasy,  and  were 
shifting  about  from  place  to  place,  impelled  by  rumors  put  afloat 
for  speculative  purposes.  A  great  many  extensive  enterprises 
by  joint-stock  companies  had  been  begun,  in  the  way  of  water- 
ditches,  to  bring  water  from  the  head  of  the  mountain-streams 
down  to  the  richer  alluvial  deposits,  and  nearly  all  of  these  com 
panies  became  embarrassed  or  bankrupt.  Foreign  capital,  also, 
which  had  been  attracted  to  California  by  reason  of  the  high 
rates  of  interest,  was  being  withdrawn,  or  was  tied  up  in  prop 
erty  which  could  not  be  sold ;  and,  although  our  bank's  having 
withstood  the  panic  gave  us  great  credit,  still  the  community 
itself  was  shaken,  and  loans  of  money  were  risky  in  the  ex 
treme.  A  great  many  merchants,  of  the  highest  name,  availed 
themselves  of  the  extremely  liberal  bankrupt  law  to  get  dis 
charged  of  their  old  debts,  without  sacrificing  much,  if  any,  of 
their  stocks  of  goods  on  hand,  except  a  lawyer's  fee  ;  thus  realiz 
ing  Martin  Burke's  saying  that  "  many  a  clever  fellow  had  been 
ruined  by  paying  his  debts." .  The  merchants  and  business-men 
of  San  Francisco  did  not  intend  to  be  ruined  by  such  a  course. 
I  raised  the  rate  of  exchange  from  three  to  three  and  a  half, 
while  others  kept  on  at  the  old  rate  ; .  and  I  labored  hard  to  col 
lect  old  debts,  and  strove,  in  making  new  loans,  to  be  on  the 
safe  side.  The  State  and  city  both  denied  much  of  their  public 
debt ;  in  fact,  repudiated  it ;  and  real  estate,  which  the  year  be 
fore  had  been  first-class  security,  became  utterly  unsalable. 

The  office  labor  and  confinement,  and  the  anxiety  attending 
the  business,  aggravated  my  asthma  to  such  an  extent  that  at 


1S55-'57.J  CALIFORNIA.  133 

times  it  deprived  me  of  sleep,  and  threatened  to  become  chronic 
and  serious  ;  and  I  was  also  conscious  that  the  first  and  original 
cause  which  had  induced  Mr.  Lucas  to  establish  the  bank  in  Cal 
ifornia  had  ceased.  I  so  reported  to  him,  and  that  I  really 
believed  that  he  could  use  his  money  more  safely  and  to  better 
advantage  in  St.  Louis.  This  met  his  prompt  approval,  and  he 
instructed  me  gradually  to  draw  out,  preparatory  to  a  removal 
to  New  York  City.  Accordingly,  early  in  April,  1857,  I  pub 
lished  an  advertisement  in  the  San  Francisco  papers,  notifying 
our  customers  that,  on  the  1st  day  of  May,  we  would  discontinue 
business  and  remove  East,  requiring  all  to  withdraw  their  ac 
counts,  and  declaring  that,  if  any  remained  on  the  1st  day  of 
May,  their  balances  would  be  transferred  to  the  banking-house 
of  Parrott  &  Co.  Punctually  to  the  day,  this  was  done,  and  the 
.  business  of  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.,  of  San  Francisco,  was  discon 
tinued,  except  the  more  difficult  and  disagreeable  part  of  col 
lecting  their  own  moneys  and  selling  the  real  estate,  to  which 
the  firm  had  succeeded  by  purchase  or  foreclosure.  One  of  the 
partners,  B.  K.  Msbet,  assisted  by  our  attorney,  S.  M.  Bowman, 
Esq.,  remained  behind  to  close  up  the  business  of  the  bank. 


CHAPTER   Y. 

CALIFOBNIA,   NEW  YOKE,  AND  KANSAS. 

1857-1859. 

HAVING  closed  the  bank  at  San  Francisco  on  the  1st  day  of 
May,  1857,  accompanied  by  my  family  I  embarked  in  the  steamer 
Sonora  for  Panama,  crossed  the  isthmus,  and  sailed  to  New 
Tork,  whence  we  proceeded  to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where  Mrs. 
Sherman  and  the  family  stopped,  and  I  went  on  to  St.  Louis. 
I  found  there  that  some  changes  had  been  made  in  the  parent- 
house,  that  Mr.  Lucas  had  bought  out  his  partner,  Captain  Sy- 
monds,  and  that  the  firm's  name  had  been  changed  to  that  of 
James  H.  Lucas  &  Co. 

It  had  also  been  arranged  that  an  office  or  branch  was  to  be 
established  in  New  York  City,  of  which  I  was  to  have  charge, 
on  pretty  much  the  same  terms  and  conditions  as  in  the  previous 
San  Francisco  firm. 

Mr.  Lucas,  Major  Turner,  and  I,  agreed  to  meet  in  New 
Tork,  soon  after  the  4th  of  July.  We  met  accordingly  at  the 
Metropolitan  Hotel,  selected  an  office,  No.  12  "Wall  Street, 
purchased  the  necessary  furniture,  and  engaged  a  teller,  book 
keeper,  and  porter.  The  new  firm  was  to  bear  the  same  title  of 
Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.,  with  about  the  same  partners  in  interest, 
but  the  nature  of  the  business  was  totally  different.  We  opened 
our  office  on  the  21st  of  July,  1857,  and  at  once  began  to  re 
ceive  accounts  from  the  West  and  from  California,  but  our  chief 
business  was  as  the  resident  agents  of  the  St..  Louis  firm  of 
James  H.  Lucas  &  Co.  Personally  I  took  rooms  at  No.  100 
Prince  Street,  in  which  house  were  also  quartered  Major  J.  Gr. 


1857-'69.]          CALIFORNIA,  NEW  YORK,   KANSAS.  135 

Barnard,  and  Lieutenant  J.  B.  McPherson,  United  States  En 
gineers,  both  of  whom  afterward  attained  great  fame  in  the  civil 
war. 

My  business  relations  in  New  York  were  with  the  Metropoli 
tan  Bank  and  Bank  of  America ;  and  with  the  very  wealthy  and 
most  respectable  firm  of  Schuchhardt'  &  Gebhard,  of  Nassau 
Street.  Every  thing  went  along  swimmingly  till  the  21st  of  Au 
gust,  when  all  Wall  Street  was  thrown  into  a  spasm  by  the  failure 
of  the  Ohio  Life  and  Trust  Company,  and  the  panic  so  resembled 
that  in  San  Francisco,  that,  having  nothing  seemingly  at  stake,  I 
felt  amused.  But  it  soon  became  a  serious  matter  even  to  me. 
"Western  stocks  and  securities  tumbled  to  such  a  figure,  that  all 
Western  banks  that  held  such  securities,  and  had  procured  ad 
vances  thereon,  were  compelled  to  pay  up  or  substitute  increased 
collaterals.  Our  own  house  was  not  a  borrower  in  New  York 
at  all,  but  many  of  our  Western  correspondents  were,  and  it 
taxed  my  time  to  watch  their  interests.  In  September,  the 
panic  extended  so  as  to  threaten  the  safety  of  even  some  of  the 
New  York  banks  not  connected  with  the  West ;  and  the  alarm 
became  general,  and  at  last  universal. 

In  the  very  midst  of  this  panic  came  the  news  that  the 
steamer  Central  America,  formerly  the  George  Law,  with  six 
hundred  passengers  and  about  sixteen  hundred  thousand  dollars 
of  treasure,  coming  from  Aspinwall,  had  foundered  at  sea,  off 
the  coast  of  Georgia,  and  that  about  sixty  of  the  passengers  had 
been  providentially  picked  up  by  a  Swedish  bark,  and  brought 
into  Savannah.  The  absolute  loss  of  this  treasure  went  to  swell 
the  confusion  and  panic  of  the  day. 

A  few  days  after,  I  was  standing  in  the  vestibule  of  the  Me 
tropolitan  Hotel,  and  heard  the  captain  of  the  Swedish  bark 
tell  his  singular  story  of  the  rescue  of  these  passengers.  He 
was  a  short,  sailor-like-looking  man,  with  a  strong  German  or 
Swedish  accent.  He  said  that  he  was  sailing  from  some  port  in 
Honduras  for  Sweden,  running  down  the  Gulf  Stream  off  Sa 
vannah.  The  weather  had  been  heavy  for  some  days,  and,  about 
nightfall,  as  he  paced  his  deck,  he  observed  a  man-of-war  hawk 
circle  about  his  vessel,  gradually  lowering,  until  the  bird  was  as 


136  CALIFOENIA,  NEW  YOEK,  KANSAS.          [185T-'59. 

it  were  aiming  at  him.  He  jerked  out  a  belaying-pin,  struck  at 
the  bird,  missed  it,  when  the  hawk  again  rose  high  in  the  air, 
and  a  second  time  began  to  descend,  contract  his  circle,  and 
make  at  him  again.  The  second  time  he  hit  the  bird,  and  struck 
it  to  the  deck.  This  strange  fact  made  him  uneasy,  and  he 
thought  it  betokened  dariger ;  he  went  to  the  binnacle,  saw  the 
course  he  was  steering,  and  without  any  particular  reason  he 
ordered  the  steersman  to  alter  the  course  one  point  to  the  east. 

After  this  it  became  quite  dark,  and  he  continued  to  prome 
nade  the  deck,  and  had  settled  into  a  drowsy  state,  when  as  in  a 
dream  he  thought  he  heard  voices  all  round  his  ship.  Waking 
up,  he  ran  to  the  side  of  the  ship,  saw  something  struggling  in 
the  water,  and  heard  clearly  cries  for  help.  Instantly  heaving 
his  ship  to,  and  lowering  all  his  boats,  he  managed  to  pick  up 
sixty  or  more  persons  who  were  floating  about  on  skylights, 
doors,  spars,  and  whatever  fragments  remained  of  the  Central 
America.  Had  he  not  changed  the  course  of  his  vessel  by  rea 
son  of  the  mysterious  conduct  of  that  man-of-war  hawk,  not  a  soul 
would  probably  have  survived  the  night.  It  was  stated  by  the 
rescued  passengers,  among  whom  was  Billy  Birch,  that  the  Cen 
tra!  America  had  sailed  from  Aspinwall  with  the  passengers  and 
freight  which  left  San  Francisco  on  the  1st  of  September,  and 
encountered  the  gale  in  the  Gulf  Stream  somewhere  off  Savan 
nah,  in  which  she  sprung  a  leak,  filled  rapidly,  and  went  down. 
The  passengers  who  were  saved  had  clung  to  doors,  skylights, 
and  such  floating  objects  as  they  could  reach,  and  were  thus  res 
cued  ;  all  the  rest,  some  five  hundred  in  number,  had  gone  down 
with  the  ship. 

The  panic  grew  worse  and  worse,  and  about  the  end  of  Sep 
tember  there  was  a  general  suspension  of  the  banks  of  New 
York,  and  a  money  crisis  extended  all  over  the  country.  In 
New  York,  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.  had  nothing  at  risk.  "VVe  had 
large  cash  balances  in  the  Metropolitan  Bank  and  in  the  Bank  of 
America,  all  safe,  and  we  held,  for  the  account  of  the  St.  Louis 
house,  at  least  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  of  St.  Louis  city 
and  county  bonds,  and  of  acceptances  falling  due  right  along, 
none  extending  beyond  ninety  days.  I  was  advised  from  St. 


185T-'59.]          CALIFORNIA,  NEW  YORK,  KANSAS.  137 

Louis  that  money  matters  were  extremely  tight ;  but  I  did  not 
dream  of  any  danger  in  that  quarter.  I  knew  well  that  Mr. 
Lucas  was  worth  two  or  three  million  dollars  in  the  best  real 
estate,  and  inferred  from  the  large  balances  to  their  credit  with 
me  that  no  mere  panic  could  shake  his  credit ;  but,  early  on  the 
morning  of  October  7th,  my  cousin,  James  M.  Hoyt,  came  to 
me  in  bed,  and  read  me  a  paragraph  in  the  morning  paper,  to 
the  effect  that  James  H.  Lucas  &  Co.,  of  St.  Louis,  had  sus 
pended.  I  was,  of  course,  surprised,  but  not  sorry ;  for  I  had 
always  contended  that  a  man  of  so  much  visible  wealth  as  Mr. 
Lucas  should  not  be  engaged  in  a  business  subject  to  such  vicis 
situdes.  I  hurried  down  to  the  office,  where  I  received  the  same 
information  officially,  by  telegraph,  with  instructions  to  make 
proper  disposition  of  the  affairs  of  the  bank,  and  to  come  out  to 
St.  Louis,  with  such  assets  as  would  be  available  there.  I  trans 
ferred  the  funds  belonging  to  all  our  correspondents,  with  lists 
of  outstanding  checks,  to  one  or  other  of  our  bankers,  and  with 
the  cash  balance  of  the  St.  Louis  house  and  their  available  assets 
started  for  St.  Louis.  I  may  say  with  confidence  that  no  man 
lost  a  cent  by  either  of  the  banking-firms  of  Lucas,  Turner  & 
Co.,  of  San  Francisco  or  New  York ;  but,  as  usual,  those  who 
owed  us  were  not  always  as  just. 

I  reached  St.  Louis  October  17th,  and  found  the  partners 
engaged  in  liquidating  the  balances  due  depositors  as  fast  as  col 
lections  could  be  forced ;  and,  as  the  panic  began  to  subside,  this 
process  became  quite  rapid,  and  Mr.  Lucas,  by  making  a  loan  in 
Philadelphia,  was  enabled  to  close  out  all  accounts  without  hav 
ing  made  any  serious  sacrifices.  Of  course,  no  person  ever  lost 
a  cent  by  him :  he  has  recently  died,  leaving  an  estate  of  eight 
million  dollars.  During  his  lifetime,  I  had  opportunities  to 
know  him  well,  and  take  much  pleasure  in  bearing  testimony  to 
his  great  worth  and  personal  kindness.  On  the  failure  of  his 
bank,  he  assumed  personally  all  the  liabilities,  released  his  part 
ners  of  all  responsibility,  and  offered  to  assist  me  to  engage  in 
business,  which  he  supposed  was  due  to  me  because  I  had  re 
signed  my  army  commission. 

I  remained  in  St.  Louis  till  the  7th  of  December,  185T,  as- 


138  CALIFORNIA,  NEW  YOKE,  KANSAS.          [1857-'59. 

eisting  in  collecting  for  the  bank,  and  in  controlling  all  matters 
which  came  from  the  New  York  and  San  Francisco  branches. 
B.  K.  Nisbet  was  still  in  San  Francisco,  but  had  married  a  Miss 
Thornton,  and  was  coming  home.  There  still  remained  in  Cali 
fornia  a  good  deal  of  real  estate,  and  notes,  valued  at  about  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  aggregate ;  so  that,  at  Mr.  Lu 
cas's  request,  I  agreed  to  go  out  again,  to  bring  matters,  if  pos 
sible,  nearer  a  final  settlement.  I  accordingly  left  St.  Louis, 
reached  Lancaster,  where  my  family  was,  on  the  10th,  staid  there 
till  after  Christmas,  and  then  went  to  New  York,  where  I  re 
mained  till  January  5th,  when  I  embarked  on  the  steamer  Moses 
Taylor  (Captain  McGowan)  for  Aspinwall ;  caught  the  Golden 
Grate  (Captain  Whiting)  at  Panama,  January  15,  1858 ;  and 
reached  San  Francisco  on  the  28th  of  January.  I  found  that 
Nisbet  and  wife  had  gone  to  St.  Louis,  and  that  we  had  passed 
each  other  at  sea.  He  had  carried  the  ledger  and  books  to  St. 
Louis,  but  left  a  schedule,  notes,  etc.,  in  the  hands  of  S.  M. 
Bowman,  Esq.,  who  passed  them  over  to  me. 

On  the  30th  of  January  I  published  a  notice  of  the  dissolu 
tion  of  the  partnership,  and  called  on  all  who  were  still  indebted 
to  the  firm  of  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.  to  pay  up,  or  the  notes  would 
be  sold  at  auction.  I  also  advertised  that  all  the  real  property 
was  for  sale. 

Business  had  somewhat  changed  since  1857.  Parrott  &  Co.; 
Garrison,  Fritz  &  .Ralston;  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.;  Drexel,  Sather 
&  Church,  and  Tallant  &  Wilde,  were  the  principal  bankers. 
Property  continued  almost  unsalable,  and  prices  were  less  than  a 
half  of  what  they  had  been  in  1853-'54.  William  Blanding,  Esq., 
had  rented  my  house  on  Harrison  Street ;  so  I  occupied  a  room 
in  the  bank,  No.  11,  and  boarded  at  the  Meiggs  House,  corner 
of  Broadway  and  Montgomery,  which  we  owned.  Having  reduced 
expenses  to  a  minimum,  I  proceeded,  with  all  possible  dispatch, 
to  collect  outstanding  debts,  in  some  instances  making  sacrifices 
and  compromises.  I  made  some  few  sales,  and  generally  aimed 
to  put  matters  in  such  a  shape  that  time  would  bring  the  best 
result.  Some  of  our  heaviest  creditors  were  John  M.  Rhodes  & 
Co.,  of  Sacramento  and  Shasta ;  Langton  &  Co.,  of  Downieville  ; 


1857-'59.]          CALIFORNIA,  NEW  YOKK,  KANSAS.  139 

and  E.  M.  Strange,  of  Murphy's.  In  trying  to  put  these  debts 
in  course  of  settlement,  I  made  some  arrangement  in  Downie- 
ville  with  the  law-firm  of  Spears  &  Thornton,  to  collect,  by  suit, 
a  certain  note  of  Green  &  Purdy  for  twelve  thousand  dollars. 
Early  in  April,  I  learned  that  Spears  had  collected  three  thou 
sand  seven  hundred  dollars  in  money,  had  appropriated  it  to  his 
own  use,  and  had  pledged  another  good  note  taken  in  part  pay 
ment  of  three  thousand  and  fifty-three  dollars.  He  pretended 
to  be  insane.  I  had  to  make  two  visits  to  Downieville  on  this 
business,  and  there  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Stewart,  now 
a  Senator  from  Nevada.  He  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  Gov 
ernor  Foote ;  was  living  in  a  small  frame-house  on  the  bar  just 
below  the  town ;  and  his  little  daughter  was  playing  about  the 
door  in  the  sand.  Stewart  was  then  a  lawyer  in  Downieville,  in 
good  practice;  afterward,  by  some  lucky  stroke,  became  part 
owner  of  a  valuable  silver-mine  in  Nevada,  and  is  now  accounted 
a  millionaire.  I  managed  to  save  something  out  of  Spears,  and 
more  out  of  his  partner  Thornton.  This  affair  of  Spears  ruined 
him,  because  his  insanity  was  manifestly  feigned. 

I  remained  in  San  Erancisco  till  July  3d,  when,  having 
collected  and  remitted  every  cent  that  I  could  raise,  and  got 
all  the  property  in  the  best  shape  possible,  hearing  from  St. 
Louis  that  business  had  revived,  and  that  there  was  no  need  of 
further  sacrifice,  I  put  all  the  papers,  with  a  full  letter  of  in 
structions,  and  power  of  attorney,-  in  the  hands  of  William  Bland- 
ing,  Esq.,  and  took  passage  on  the  good  steamer  Golden  Gate, 
Captain  Whiting,  for  Panama  and  home.  I  reached  Lancaster 
on  July  28,  1858,  and  found  all  the  family  well.  I  was  then 
perfectly  unhampered,  but  the  serious  and  greater  question  re 
mained,  what  was  I  to  do  to  support  my  family,  consisting  of  a 
wife  and  four  children,  all  accustomed  to  more  than  the  average 
comforts  of  life  ? 

I  remained  at  Lancaster  all  of  August,  1858,  during  which 
time  I  was  discussing  with  Mr.  Ewing  and  others  what  to  do 
next.  Major  Turner  and  Mr.  Lucas,  in  St.  Louis,  were  willing  to 
do  any  thing  to  aid  me,  but  I  thought  best  to  keep  independent. 
Mr.  Ewing  had  property  at  Chauncey,  consisting  of  salt- wells  and 


140  CALIFORNIA,  NEW  YORK,  KANSAS.          fl85T-'59. 

coal-mines,  but  for  that  part  of  Ohio  I  had  no  fancy.  Two  of 
his  sons,  Hugh  and  T.  E.,  Jr.,  had  established  themselves  at 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  they  and  their  father  had  bought 
a  good  deal  of  land,  some  near  the  town,  and  some  back  in  the 
country.  Mr.  Ewing  offered  to  confide  to  me  the  general  man 
agement  of  his  share  of  interest,  and  Hugh  and  T.  E.,  Jr.,  offered 
me  an  equal  copartnership  in  their  law-firm.  Accordingly,  about 
the  1st  of  September,  I  started  for  Kansas,  stopping  a  couple  of 
weeks  in  St.  Louis,  and  reached  Leavenworth.  I  found  about 
two  miles  below  the  fort,  on  the  river-bank,  where  in  1851  was 
a  tangled  thicket,  quite  a  handsome  and  thriving  city,  growing 
rapidly  in  rivalry  with  Kansas  City,  and  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 
After  looking  about  and  consulting  with  friends,  among  them 
my  classmate  Major  Stewart  Yan  Yliet,  quartermaster  at  the 
fort,  I  concluded  to  accept  the  proposition  of  Mr.  Ewing,  and 
accordingly  the  firm  of  Sherman  &  Ewing  was  duly  announced, 
and  our  services  to  the  public  offered  as  attorneys-at-law. 

"We  had  an  office  on  Main  Street,  between  Shawnee  and 
Delaware,  on  the  second  floor,  over  the  office  of  Hampton  Den- 
man,  Esq.,  mayor  of  the  city.  This  building  was  a  mere  shell, 
and  our  office  was  reached  by  a  stairway  on  the  outside.  Al 
though  in  the  course  of  my  military  reading  I  had  studied  a  few 
of  the  ordinary  law-books,  such  as  Blackstone,  Kent,  Starkie, 
etc.,  I  did  not  presume  to  be  a  lawyer ;  but  our  agreement 
was  that  Thomas  Ewing,  Jr.,  a  good,  and  thorough  lawyer, 
should  manage  all  business  in  the  courts,  while  I  gave  attention 
to  collections,  agencies  for  houses  and  lands,  and  such  business 
as  my  experience  in  banking  had  qualified  me  for.  Yet,  as 
my  name  was  embraced  in  a  law-firm,  it  seemed  to  me  proper  to 
take  out  a  license.  Accordingly,  one  day  when  United  States 
Judge  Lecompte  was  in  our  office,  I  mentioned  the  matter  to 
him;  he  told  me  to  go  down  to  the  clerk  of  his  court,  and 
he  would  give  me  the  license.  I  inquired  what  examination  I 
would  have  to  submit  to,  and  he  replied,  "None  at  all;"  he 
would  admit  me  on  the  ground  of  general  intelligence. 

During  that  summer  we  got  our  share  of  the  business  of  the 
profession,  then  represented  by  several  eminent  law-firms,  em- 


1857-'59.]          CALIFOKNIA,  NEW  YORK,  KANSAS.  141 

bracing  names  that  have  since  flourished  in  the  Senate,  and  in 
the  higher  courts  of  the  country.  But  the  most  lucrative  single 
case  was  given  me  by  my  friend  Major  Van  Yliet,  who  em 
ployed  me  "to  go  to  Fort  Kiley,  one  hundred  and  thirty-six 
miles  west  of  Fort  Leavenworth,  to  superintend  the  repairs  to 
the  military  road.  For  this  purpose  he  supplied  me  with  a 
four-mule  ambulance  and  driver.  The  country  was  then  sparsely 
settled,  and  quite  as  many  Indians  were  along  the  road  as  white 
people ;  still  there  were  embryo  towns  all  along  the  route,  and  a 
few  farms  sprinkled  over  the  beautiful  prairies.  On  reaching 
Indianola,  near  Topeka,  I  found  everybody  down  with  the 
chills  and  fever.  My  own  driver  became  so  shaky  that  I  had 
to  act  as  driver  and  cook.  But  in  due  season  I  reconnoitred  the 
road,  and  made  contracts  for  repairing  some  bridges,  and  for 
cutting  such  parts  of  the  road  as  needed  it.  I  then  returned  to 
Fort  Leavenworth,  and  reported,  receiving  a  fair  compensation. 
On  my  way  up  I  met  Colonel  Summer's  column,  returning  from 
their  summer  scout  on  the  plains,  and  spent  the  night  with  the 
officers,  among  whom  were  Captains  Sackett,  Sturgis,  etc.  Also 
at  Fort  Riley  I  was  cordially  received  and  entertained  by  some 
old  army-friends,  among  them  Major  Sedgwick,  Captains  Tot- 
ten,  Eli  Long,  etc. 

Mrs.  Sherman  and  children  arrived  out  in  November,  and  we 
spent  the  winter  very  comfortably  in  the  house  of  Thomas 
Ewing,  Jr.,  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Pottawottamie  Streets. 
On  the  1st  of  January,  1859,  Daniel  McCook,  Esq.,  was  ad 
mitted  to  membership  in  our  firm,  which  became  Sherman,  Ew 
ing  &  McCook.  Our  business  continued  to  grow,  but,  as  the  in 
come  hardly  sufficed  for  three  such  expensive  personages,  I  con 
tinued  to  look  about  for  something  more  certain  and  profitable, 
and  during  that  spring  undertook  for  the  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing, 
of  Ohio,  to  open  a  farm  on  a  large  tract  of  land  he  owned  on 
Indian  Creek,  forty  miles  west  of  Leavenworth,  for  the  benefit 
of  his  grand-nephew,  Henry  Clark,  and  his  grand-niece,  Mrs. 
"Walker.  These  arrived  out  in  the  spring,  by  which  time  I  had 
caused  to  be  erected  a  small  frame  dwelling-house,  a  barn,  and 
fencing  for  a  hundred  acres.  This  helped  to  pass  away  time. 


142  CALIFOKNIA,  NEW  YOKE,  KANSAS.          [1857-'69. 

but  afforded  little  profit ;  and  on  the  llth  of  June,  1859, 1 
wrote  to  Major  D.  C.  Buell,  assistant  adjutant-general,  on  duty 
in  the  "War  Department  with  Secretary  of  War  Floyd,  inquiring 
if  there  was  a  vacancy  among  the  army  paymasters,  or  any  thing 
in  his  line  that  I  could  obtain.-  He  replied  promptly,  and  sent 
me  the  printed  programme  for  a  military  college  about  to  be 
organized  in  Louisiana,  and  advised  me  to  apply  for  the  superin 
tendent's  place,  saying  that  General  G.  Mason  Graham,  the  half- 
brother  of  my  old  commanding  general,  R.  B.  Mason,  was  very 
influential  in  this  matter,  and  would  doubtless  befriend  me  on 
account  of  the  relations  that  had  existed  between  General  Mason 
and  myself  in  Calif ornia.  Accordingly,  I  addressed  a  letter  of 
application  to  the  Hon.  R.  C.  Wickliffe,  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana, 
asking  the  answer  to  be  sent  to  me  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where  I 
proposed  to  leave  my  family.  But,  before  leaving  this  branch  of 
the  subject,  I  must  explain  a  little  matter  of  which  I  have  seen 
an  account  in  print,  complimentary  or  otherwise  of  the  firm 
of  Sherman,  Ewing  &  McCook,  more  especially  of  the  senior 
partner. 

One  day,  as  I  sat  in  our  ofiice,  an  Irishman  came  in  and 
said  he  had  a  case  and  wanted  a  lawyer.  I  asked  him  to  sit 
down  and  give  me  the  points  of  his  case,  all  the  other  members 
of  the  firm  being  out.  Our  client  stated  that  he  had  rented  a 
lot  of  an  Irish  landlord  for  five  dollars  a  month ;  that  he  had 
erected  thereon  a  small  frame  shanty,  which  was  occupied  by  his 
family ;  that  he  had  paid  his  rent  regularly  up  to  a  recent  period, 
but  to  his  house  he  had  appended  a  shed  which  extended  over  a 
part  of  an  adjoining  vacant  lot  belonging  to  the  same  landlord, 
for  which  he  was  charged  two  and  a  half  dollars  a  month,  which 
he  refused  to  pay.  The  consequence  was,  that  his  landlord  had 
for  a  few  months  declined  even  his  five  dollars  monthly  rent 
until  the  arrears  amounted  to  about  seventeen  dollars,  for  which 
he  was  sued.  I  told  him  we  would  undertake  his  case,  of  which 
I  took  notes,  and  a  fee  of  five  dollars  in  advance,  and  in  due  or 
der  I  placed  the  notes  in  the  hands  of  McCook,  and  thought  no 
more  of  it. 

A  month  or  so  after,  our  client  rushed  into  the  office  and  said 


1857-'69.]          CALIFOKNIA,  NEW  YOEK,  KANSAS.  143 

Ms  case  had  been  called  at  Judge  Gardner's  (I  think),  and  he 
wanted  his  lawyer  right  away.  I  sent  him  up  to  the  Circuit 
Court,  Judge  Pettis's,  for  McCook,  but  he  soon  returned,  saying 
he  could  not  find  McCook,  and  accordingly  I  hurried  with  him 
up  to  Judge  Gardner's  office,  intending  to  ask  a  continuance, 
but  I  found  our  antagonist  there,  with  his  lawyer  and  witnesses, 
and  Judge  Gardner  would  not  grant  a  continuance,  so  of 
necessity  I  had  to  act,  hoping  that  at  every  minute  McCook 
would  come.  But  the  trial  proceeded  regularly  to  its  end; 
we  were  beaten,  and  judgment  was  entered  against  our  client 
for  the  amount  claimed,  and  costs.  As  soon  as  the  matter  was 
explained  to  McCook,  he  said  "  execution  "  could  not  be  taken 
for  ten  days,  and,  as  our  client  was  poor,  and  had  nothing  on 
which  the  landlord  could  levy  but  his  house,  McCook  advised 
him  to  get  his  neighbors  together,  to  pick  up  the  house,  and 
carry  it  on  to  another  vacant  lot,  belonging  to  a  non-resident, 
so  that  even  the  house  could  not  be  taken  in  execution.  Thus 
the  grasping  landlord,  though  successful  in  his  judgment,  failed 
in  the  execution,  and  our  client  was  abundantly  satisfied. 

In  due  time  I  closed  up  my  business-  at  Leaven  worth,  and 
went  to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where,  in  July,  1859,  I  received  notice 
from  Governor  "Wickliffe  that  I  had  been  elected  superin 
tendent  of  the  proposed  college,  and  inviting  me  to  come 
down  to  Louisiana  as  early  as  possible,  because  they  were  anx 
ious  to  put  the  college  into  operation  by  the  1st  of  January  fol 
lowing.  For  this  honorable  position  I  was  indebted  to  Major  D. 
C.  Buell  and  General  G.  Mason  Graham,  to  whom  I  have  made 
full  and  due  acknowledgment.  During  the  civil  war,  it  was  re 
ported  and  charged  that  I  owed  my  position  to  the  personal 
friendship  of  Generals  Bragg  and  Beauregard,  and  that,  in  taking 
up  arms  against  the  South,  I  had  been  guilty  of  a  breach  of 
hospitality  and  friendship.  I  .was  not  indebted  to  General 
Bragg,  because  he  himself  told  me  that  he  was  not  even  aware 
that  I  was  an  applicant,  and  had  favored  the  selection  of  Major 
Jenkins,  another  "West  Point  graduate.  General  Beauregard 
had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  matter. 


CHAPTEK  VI. 

LOUISIANA. 

1859-1861. 

IN  the  autumn  of  1859,  having  made  arrangements  for  my 
family  to  remain  in  Lancaster,  I  proceeded,  via  Columbus,  Cin 
cinnati,  and  Louisville,  to  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  where  I 
reported  for  duty  to  Governor  Wickliffe,  who,  by  virtue  of 
his  office,  was  the  president  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of 
the  new  institution  over  which  I  was  called  to  preside.  He  ex 
plained  to  me  the  act  of  the  Legislature  under  which  the  insti 
tution  was  founded ;  told  me  that  the  building  was  situated  near 
Alexandria,  in  the  parish  of  Rapides,  and  was  substantially 
finished ;  that  the  future  management  would  rest  with  a  Board 
of  Supervisors,  mostly  citizens  of  Rapides  Parish,  where  also 
resided  the  Governor-elect,  T.  O.  Moore,  who  would  soon  suc 
ceed  him  in  his  office  as  Governor  and  president  ex  officio  /  and 
advised  me  to  go  at  once  to  Alexandria,  and  put  myself  in 
communication  with  Moore  and  the  supervisors.  Accordingly 
I  took  a  boat  at  Baton  Rouge,  for  the  mouth  of  Red  River. 
The  river  being  low,  and  its  navigation  precarious,  I  there  took 
the  regular  mail-coach,  as  the  more  certain  conveyance,  and  con 
tinued  on  toward  Alexandria.  I  found,  as  a  fellow-passenger 
in  the  coach,  Judge  Henry  Boyce,  of  the  United  States  District 
Court,  with  whom  I  had  made  acquaintance  years  before,  at 
St.  Louis,  and,  as  we  neared  Alexandria,  he  proposed  that  we 
should  stop  at  Governor  Moore's  and  spend  the  night.  Moore's 
house  and  plantation  were  on  Bayou  Robert,  about  eight  miles 
from  Alexandria.  We  found  him  at  home,  with  his  wife  and  a 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA. 

% 

married  daughter,  and  spent  the  night  there.  He  sent  us  for 
ward  to  Alexandria  the  next  morning,  in  his  own  carriage.  On 
arriving  at  Alexandria,  I  put  up  at  an  inn,  or  boarding-house, 
and  almost  immediately  thereafter  went  about  ten  miles  farther 
up  Bayou  Rapides,  to  the  plantation  and  house  of  General  G. 
Mason  Graham,  to  whom  I  looked  as  the  principal  man  with 
whom  I  had  to  deal.  He  was  a  high-toned  gentleman,  and  his 
whole  heart  was  in  the  enterprise.  He  at  once  put  me  at  ease. 
We  acted  together  most  cordially  from  that  time  forth,  and 
it  was  at  his  house  that  all  the  details  of  the  seminary  were  ar 
ranged.  We  first  visited  the  college-building  together.  It  was 
located  on  an  old  country  place  of  four  hundred  acres  of  pine- 
land,  with  numerous  springs,  and  the  building  was  very  large 
and  handsome.  A  carpenter,  named  James,  resided  there,  and 
had  the  general  charge  of  the  property  ;  but,  as  there  was  not  a 
table,  chair,  black-board,  or  any  thing  on  hand,  necessary  for  a 
beginning,  I  concluded  to  quarter  myself  in  one  of  the  rooms 
of  the  seminary,  and  board  with  an  old  black  woman  who 
cooked  for  James,  so  that  I  might  personally  push  forward  the 
necessary  preparations.  There  was  an  old  rail-fence  about  the 
place,  and  a  large  pile  of  boards  in  front.  I  immediately  en 
gaged  four  carpenters,  and  set  them  at  work  to  make  out  of 
these  boards  mess-tables,  benches,  black-boards,  etc.  I  also 
opened  a  correspondence  with  the  professors-elect,  and  with  all 
parties  of  influence  in  the  State,  who  were  interested  in  our 
work.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  held  at 
Alexandria,  August  2,  1859,  five  professors  had  been  elected : 
1.  W.  T.  Sherman,  Superintendent,  and  Professor  of  Engineer 
ing,  etc. ;  2.  Anthony  Yallas,  Professor  of  Mathematics,  Philos 
ophy,  etc. ;  3.  Francis  "W.  Smith,  Professor  of  Chemistry,  etc. ; 
4.  David  F.  Boyd,  Professor  of  Languages,  English  and  An 
cient  ;  5.  E.  Berti  St.  Ange,  Professor  of  French  and  Modem 
Languages. 

These  constituted  the  Academic  Board,  while  the  general 
supervision  remained  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  composed  of 
the  Governor  of  the  State,  the  Superintendent  of  Public  Edu 
cation,  and  twelve  members,  nominated  by  the  Governor,  and 
10 


146  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

i- 

confirmed  by  the  Senate.  The  institution  was  bound  to  educate 
sixteen  beneficiary  students,  free  of  any  charge  for  tuition.  These 
had  only  to  pay  for  their  clothing  and  books,  while  all  others 
had  to  pay  their  entire  expenses,  including  tuition. 

Early  in  November,  Profs.  Smith,  Yallas,  St.  Ange,  and  I, 
met  a  committee  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  composed  of  T.  C. 
Manning,  G.  Mason  Graham,  and  W.  W.  Whittington,  at  General 
Graham's  house,  and  resolved  to  open  the  institution  to  pupils 
on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1860.  We  adopted  a  series  of  by 
laws  for  the  government  of  the  institution,  which  was  styled 
the  "  Louisiana  Seminary  of  Learning  and  Military  Academy." 
This  title  grew  out  of  the  original  grant,  by  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  of  a  certain  township  of  public  land,  to  be  sold 
by  the  State,  and  dedicated  to  the  use  of  a  "seminary  of 
learning."  I  do  not  suppose  that  Congress  designed  thereby  to 
fix  the  name  or  title ;  but  the  subject  had  so  long  been  debated 
in  Louisiana  that  the  name,  though  awkward,  had  become  fa 
miliar.  We  appended  to  it "  Military  Academy,"  as  explanatory 
of  its  general  design. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1859,  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
Wickliffe,  issued  officially  a  general  circular,  prepared  by  us, 
giving  public  notice  that  the  "  Seminary  of  Learning "  would 
open  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1860;  containing  a  description 
of  the  locality,  and  the  general  regulations  for  the  proposed  insti 
tution  ;  and  authorizing  parties  to  apply  for  further  information 
to  the  "  Superintendent,"  at  Alexandria,  Louisiana. 

The  Legislature  had  appropriated  for  the  sixteen  beneficiaries 
at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-three  dollars  per  annum, 
to  which  we  added  sixty  dollars  as  tuition  for  pay  cadets ;  and, 
though  the  price  was  low,  we  undertook  to  manage  for  the  first 
year  on  that  basis. 

Promptly  to  the  day,  we  opened,  with  about  sixty  cadets 
present.  Major  Smith  was  the  commandant  of  cadets,  and 
I  the  superintendent.  1  had  been  to  New  Orleans,  where 
I  had  bought  a  supply  of  mattresses,  books,  and  every  thing 
requisite,  and  we  started  very  much  on  the  basis  of  W.est 
Point  and  of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  but  without  uni- 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  147 

forms  or  muskets ;  yet  with  roll-calls,  sections,  and  recitations, 
we  kept  as  near  the  standard  of  West  Point  as  possible.  I  kept 
all  the  money  accounts,  and  gave  general  directions  to  the  stew 
ard,  professors,  and  cadets.  The  other  professors  had  their  reg 
ular  classes  and  recitations.  "We  all  lived  in  rooms  in  the 
college-building,  except  Yallas,  who  had  a  family,  and  rented  a' 
house  near  by.  A  Creole  gentleman,  B.  Jarreau,  Esq.,  had  been 
elected  steward,  and  he  also  had  his  family  in  a  house  not  far 
off.  The  other  professors  had  a  mess  in  a  room  adjoining  the 
mess-hall.  A  few  more  cadets  joined  in  the  course  of  the  win 
ter,  so  that  we  had  in  all,  during  the  first  term,  seventy-three 
cadets,  of  whom  fifty-nine  passed  the  examination  on  the 
30th  of  July,  1860.  During  our  first  term  many  defects  in  the 
original  act  of  the  Legislature  were  demonstrated,  and,  by  the 
advice  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  I  went  down  to  Baton  Rouge 
during  the  session  of  the  Legislature,  to  advocate  and  urge  the 
passage  of  a  new  bill,  putting  the  institution  on  a  better  footing. 
Thomas  O.  Moore  was  then  Governor,  Bragg  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Public  Works,  and  Richard  Taylor  was  a  Sena 
tor.  I  got  well  acquainted  with  all  of  these,  and  with  some 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  State,  and  was  always  treated 
with  the  greatest  courtesy  and  kindness.  In  conjunction  with 
the  proper  committee  of  the  Legislature,  we  prepared  a  new 
bill,  which  was  passed  and  approved  on  the  Yth  of  March,  1860, 
by  which  we  were  to  have  a  beneficiary  cadet  for  each  parish,  in 
all  fifty-six,  and  fifteen  thousand  dollars  annually  for  their 
maintenance ;  also  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  the  general  use 
of  the  college.  During  that  session  we  got  an  appropriation  of 
fifteen  thousand  dollars  for  building  two  professors'  houses, 
for  the  purchase  of  philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus,  and  for 
the  beginning  of  a  college  library.  The  seminary  was  made  a 
State  Arsenal,  under  the  title  of  State  Central  Arsenal,  and  I 
was  allowed  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  as  its  superintendent. 
These  matters  took  me  several  times  to  Baton  Rouge  that  win 
ter,  and  I  recall  an  event  of  some  interest,  which  must  have 
happened  in  February.  At  that  time  my  brother,  John  Sher 
man,  was  a  candidate,  in  the  national  House  of  Representatives, 


148  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

for  Speaker,  against  Bocock,  of  Virginia.  In  the  South  he 
was  regarded  as  an  "abolitionist,"  the  most  horrible  of  all 
monsters;  and  many  people  of  Louiisana  looked  at  me  with 
suspicion,  as  the  brother  of  the  abolitionist,  John  Sherman,  and 
doubted  the  propriety  of  having  me  at  the  head  of  an  important 
•  State  institution.  By  this  time  I  was  pretty  well  acquainted 
with  many  of  their  prominent  men,  was  generally  esteemed 
by  all  in  authority,  and  by  the  people  of  Rapides  Parish  es 
pecially,  who  saw  that  I  was  devoted  to  my  particular  business, 
and  that  I  gave  no  heed  to  the  political  excitement  of  the  day. 
But  the  members  of  the  State  Senate  and  House  did  not  know 
me  so  well,  and  it  was  natural  that  they  should  be  suspicious 
of  a  Northern  man,  and  the  brother  of  him  who  was  the  "  aboli 
tion  "  candidate  for  Speaker  of  the  House. 

One  evening,  at  a  large  dinner-party  at  Governor  Moore's, 
at  which  were  present  several  members  of  the  Louisiana  Leg 
islature,  Taylor,  Bragg,  and  the  Attorney-General  Hyams,  after 
the  ladies  had  left  the  table,  I  noticed  at  Governor  Moore's 
end  quite  a  lively  discussion  going  on,  in  which  my  name 
was  frequently  used;  at  length  the  Governor  called  to  me, 
saying :  "  Colonel  Sherman,  you  can  readily  understand  that, 
with  your  brother  the  abolitionist  candidate  for  Speaker,  S(5me 
of  our  people  wonder  that  you  should  be  here  at  the  head  of 
an  important  State  institution.  Now,  you  are  at  my  table,  and 
I  assure  you  of  my  confidence.  "Won't  you  speak  your  mind 
freely  on  this  question  of  slavery,  that  so  agitates  the  land? 
You  are  under  my  roof,  and,  whatever  you  say,  you  have  my 
protection." 

I  answered :  "  Governor  Moore,  you  mistake  in  calling  my 
brother,  John  Sherman,  an  abolitionist.  We  have  been  sepa 
rated  since  childhood — I  in  the  army,  and  he  pursuing  his  pro 
fession  of  law  in  Northern  Ohio ;  and  it  is  possible  we  may  differ 
in  general  sentiment,  but  I  deny  that  he  is  considered  at  home 
an  abolitionist ;  and,  although  he  prefers  the  free  institutions 
under  which  he  lives  to  those  of  slavery  which  prevail  here,  he 
would  not  of  himself  take  from  you  by  law  or  force  any  prop 
erty  whatever,  even  slaves." 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  149 

Then  said  Moore :  "  Give  us  your  own  views  of  slavery  as 
you  see  it  here  and  throughout  the  South." 

I  answered  in  effect  that  "the  people  of  Louisiana  were 
hardly  responsible  for  slavery,  as  they  had  inherited  it ;  that  I 
found  two  distinct  conditions  of  slavery,  domestic  and  field  hands. 
The*  domestic  slaves,  employed  by  the  families,  were  probably 
better  treated  than  any  slaves  on  earth ;  but  the  condition  of  the 
field-hands  was  different,  depending  more  on  the  temper  and 
disposition  of  their  masters  and  overseers  than  were  those  em 
ployed  about  the  house ; "  and  I  went  on  to  say  that,  "  were  I  a 
citizen  of  Louisiana,  and  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  I  would 
deem  it  wise  to  bring  the  legal  condition  of  the  slaves  more  near 
the  status  of  human  beings  under  all  Christian  and  civilized 
governments.  In  the  first  place,  I  argued  that,  in  sales  of  slaves 
made  by  the  State,  I  would  forbid  the  separation  of  families, 
letting  the  father,  mother,  and  children,  be  sold  together  to  one 
person,  instead  of  each  to  the  highest  bidder.  And,  again,  I 
would  advise  the  repeal  of  the  statute  which  enacted  a  severe 
penalty  for  even  the  owner  to  teach  his  slave  to  read  and  write, 
because  that  actually  qualified  property  and  took  away  a  part  of 
its  value ;  illustrating  the  assertion  by  the  case  of  Henry  Samp 
son*,  who  had  been  the  slave  of  Colonel  Chambers,  of  Kapides 
Parish,  who  had  gone  to  California  as  the  servant  of  an  officer 
of  the  army,  and  who  was  afterward  employed  by  me  in  the 
bank  at  San  Francisco.  At  first  he  could  not  write  or  read,  and 
I  could  only  afford  to  pay  him  one  hundred  dollars  a  month ; 
but  he  was  taught  to  read  and  write  by  Keilley,  our  bank-teller, 
when  his  services  became  worth  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a 
month,  which  enabled  him  to  buy  his  own  freedom  and  that  of 
his  brother  and  his  family." 

What  I  said  was  listened  to  by  all  with  the  most  profound 
attention ;  and,  when  I  was  through,  some  one  (I  think  it  was 
Mr.  Hyams)  struck  the  table  with  his  fist,  making  the  glasses  jin 
gle,  and  said,  "  By  God,  he  is  right ! "  and  at  once  he  took  up  the 
debate,  which  went  on,  for  an  hour  or  more,  on  both  sides  with 
ability  and  fairness.  Of  course,  I  was  glad  to  be  thus  relieved, 
because  at  the  time  all  men  in  Louisiana  were  dreadfully  ex- 


150  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

cited  on  questions  affecting  their  slaves,  who  constituted  the 
bulk  of  their  wealth,  and  without  whom  they  honestly  believed 
that  sugar,  cotton,  and  rice,  could  not  possibly  be  cultivated. 

On  the  30th  and  31st  of  July,  1860,  we  had  an  examination 
at  the  seminary,  winding  up  with  a  ball,  and  as  much  publicity 
as  possible  to  attract  general  notice ;  and  immediately  thereafter 
we  all  scattered — the  cadets  to  their  homes,  and  the  professors 
wherever  they  pleased — all  to  meet  again  on  the  1st  day  of  the 
next  November.  Major  Smith  and  I  agreed  to  meet  in  New 
York  on  a  certain  day  in  August,  to  purchase  books,  models, 
etc.  I  went  directly  to  my  family  in  Lancaster,  and  after  a  few 
days  proceeded  to  Washington,  to  endeavor  to  procure  from  the 
General  Government  the  necessary  muskets  and  equipments  for 
our  cadets  by  the  beginning  of  the  next  term.  I  was  in  Wash 
ington  on  the  17th  day  of  August,  and  hunted  up  my  friend 
Major  Buell,  of  the  Adjutant-General's  Department,  who  was 
on  duty  with  the  Secretary  of  War,  Floyd.  I  had  with  me  a 
letter  of  Governor  Moore's,  authorizing  me  to  act  in  his  name. 
Major  Buell  took  me  into  Floyd's  room  at  the  War  Department, 
to  whom  I  explained  my  business,  and  I  was  agreeably  surprised 
to  meet  with  such  easy  success.  Although  the  State  of  Louisi 
ana  had  already  drawn  her  full  quota  of  arms,  Floyd  promptly 
promised  to  order  my  requisition  to  be  filled,  and  I  procured  the 
necessary  blanks  at  the  Ordnance-Office,  filled  them  with  two 
hundred  cadet  muskets,  and  all  equipments  complete,  and  was 
assured  that  all  these  articles  would  be  shipped  to  Louisiana  in 
season  for  our  use  that  fall.  These  assurances  were  faithfully 
carried  out. 

I  then  went  on  to  New  York,  there  met  Major  Smith  accord 
ing  to  appointment,  and  together  we  selected  and  purchased  a 
good  supply  of  uniforms,  clothing,  and  text-books,  as  well  as  a 
fair  number  of  books  of  history  and  fiction,  to  commence  a 
library. 

When  this  business  was  completed,  I  returned  to  Lancaster, 
and  remained  with  my  family  till  the  time  approached  for  me  to 
return  to  Louisiana.  I  again  left  my  family  at  Lancaster,  until 
assured  of  the  completion  of  the  two  buildings  designed  for  the 


1859-'6L]  LOUISIANA.  151 

married  professors  for  which  I  had  contracted  that  spring  with 
Mr.  Mills,  of  Alexandria,  and  which  were  well  under  progress 
when  I  left  in  August.  One  of  these  was  designed  for  me  and 
the  other  for  Yallas.  Mr.  Ewing  presented  me  with  a  horse, 
which  I  took  down  the  river  with  me,  and  en  route  I  ordered 
from  Grimsley  &  Co.  a  full  equipment  of  saddle,  bridle,  etc., 
the  same  that  I  used  in  the  war,  and  which  I  lost  with  my  horse, 
shot  under  me  at  Shiloh. 

Reaching  Alexandria  early  in  October,  I  pushed  forward  the 
construction  of  the  two  buildings,  some  fences,  gates,  and  all 
other  work,  with  the  object  of  a  more  perfect  start  at  the  open 
ing  of  the  regular  term  November  1,  1860. 

About  this  time  Dr.  Powhatan  Clark  was  elected  Assistant 
Professor  of  Chemistry,  etc.,  and  acted  as  secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Supervisors,  but  no  other  changes  were  made  in  our  small 
circle  of  professors. 

November  came,  and  with  it  nearly  if  not  quite  all  our  first 
set  of  cadets,  and  others,  to  the  number  of  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty.  We  divided  them  into  two  companies,  issued  arms 
and  clothing,  and  began  a  regular  system  of  drills  and  in 
struction,  as  well  as  the  regular  recitations.  I  had  moved  into 
my  new  house,  but  prudently  had  not  sent  for  my  family,  nomi 
nally  on  the  ground  of  waiting  until  the  season  was  further  ad 
vanced,  but  really  because  of  the  storm  that  was  lowering  heavy 
on  the  political  horizon.  The  presidential  election  was  to  occur 
in  November,  and  the  nominations  had  already  been  made  in 
stormy  debates  by  the  usual  conventions.  Lincoln  and  Hamlin 
(to  the  South  utterly  unknown)  were  the  nominees  of  the  Re 
publican  party,  and  for  the  first  time  both  these  candidates  were 
from  Northern  States.  The  Democratic  party  divided — one  set 
nominating  a  ticket  at  Charleston,  and  the  other  at  Baltimore. 
Breckenridge  and  Lane  were  the  nominees  of  the  Southern  or 
Democratic  party  j  and  Bell  and  Everett,  a  kind  of  compromise, 
mostly  in  favor  in  Louisiana.  Political  excitement  was  at  its 
very  height,  and  it  was  constantly  asserted  that  Mr.  Lincoln's 
election  would  imperil  the  Union.  I  purposely  kept  aloof  from 
politics,  would  take  no  part,  and  remember  that  on  the  day 


152  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

of  the  election-  in  November  I  was  notified  that  it  would  be 
advisable  for  me  to  vote  for  Bell  and  Everett,  but  I  openly  said 
I  would  not,  and  I  did  not.  The  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  fell 
upon  us  all  like  a  clap  of  thunder.  People  saw  and  felt  that 
the  South  had  threatened  so  long  that,  if  she  quietly  submitted, 
the  question  of  slavery  in  the  Territories  was  at  an  end  for 
ever.  I  mingled  freely  with  the  members  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and  with  the  people  of  Rapides  Parish  generally, 
keeping  aloof  from  all  cliques  and  parties,  and  I  certainly 
hoped  that  the  threatened  storm  would  blow  over,  as  had  so 
often  occurred  before,  after  similar  threats.  At  our  seminary 
the  order  of  exercises  went  along  with  the  regularity  of  the 
seasons.  Once  a  week,  I  had  the  older  cadets  to  practise  read 
ing,  reciting,  and  elocution,  and  noticed  that  their  selections 
were  from  Calhoun,  Tancey,  and  other  Southern  speakers,  all 
treating  of  the  defense  of  their  slaves  and  their  home  insti 
tutions  as  the  very  highest  duty  of  the  patriot.  Among  boys 
this  was  to  be  expected;  and  among  the  members  of  our 
board,  though  most  of  them  declaimed  against  politicians  gen 
erally,  and  especially  abolitionists,  as  pests,  yet  there  was 
a  growing  feeling  that  danger  was  in  the  wind.  I  recall  the 
visit  of  a  young  gentleman  who  had  been  sent  from  Jack 
son,  by  the  Governor  of  Mississippi,  to  confer  with  Governor 
Moore,  then  on  his  plantation  at  Bayou  Robert,  and  who  had 
come  over  to  see  our  college.  He  spoke  to  me  openly  of  seces 
sion  as  a  fixed  fact,  and  that  its  details  were  only  left  open  for 
discussion.  I  also  recall  the  visit  of  some  man  who  was  said  to 
be  a  high  officer  in  the  order-  of  "  Knights  of  the  Golden  Cir 
cle,"  of  the  existence  of  which  order  I  was  even  ignorant,  until 
explained  to  me  by  Major  Smith  and  Dr.  Clark.  But  in  No 
vember,  1860,  no  man  ever  approached  me  offensively,  to  as 
certain  my  views,  or  my  proposed  course  of  action  in  case  of  se 
cession,  and  no  man  in  or  out  of  authority  ever  tried  to  induce 
me  to  take  part  in  steps  designed  to  lead  toward  disunion.  I 
think  my  general  opinions  were  well  known  and  understood, 
viz.,  that  "  secession  was  treason,  was  war  ;  "  and  that  in  no  event 
could  the  North  and  West  permit  the  Mississippi  River  to  pass 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  153 

out  of  their  control.  But  some  men  at  the  South  actually  sup 
posed  at  the  time  that  the  Northwestern  States,  in  case  of  a 
disruption  of  the  General  Government,  would  be  drawn  in  self- 
interest  to  an  alliance  with  the  South.  "What  I  now  write  I 
do  not  offer  as  any  thing  like  a  history  of  the  important  events 
of  that  time,  but  rather  as  my  memory  of  them,  the  effect  they 
had  on  me  personally,  and  to  what  extent  they1  influenced  my 
personal  conduct. 

South  Carolina  seceded  December  20,  1860,  and  Mississippi 
soon  after.  Emissaries  came  to  Louisiana  to  influence  the  Gov 
ernor,  Legislature,  and  people,  and  it  was  the  common  assertion 
that,  if  all  the  Cotton  States  would  follow  the  lead  of  South  Caro 
lina,  it  would  diminish  the  chances  of  civil  war,  because  a  bold 
and  determined  front  would  deter  the  General  Government  from 
any  measures  of  coercion.  About  this  time  also,  viz.,  early  in 
December,  we  received  Mr.  Buchanan's  annual  message  to  Con 
gress,  in  which  he  publicly  announced  that  the  General  Govern 
ment  had  no  constitutional  power  to  "  coerce  a  State."  I  con 
fess  this  staggered  me,  and  I  feared  that  the  prophecies  and 
assertions  of  Alison  and  other  European  commentators  on  our 
form  of  government  were  right,  and  that  our  Constitution  was 
a  mere  rope  of  sand,  that  would  break  with  the  first  pressure. 

The  Legislature  of  Louisiana  met  on  the  10th  of  Decem 
ber,  and  passed  an  act  calling  a  convention  of  delegates  from 
the  people,  to  meet  at  Baton  Rouge,  on  the  8th  of  January, 
to  take  into  consideration  the  state  of  the  Union;  and,  al- 
although  it  was  universally  admitted  that  a  large  majority  of 
the  voters  of  the  State  were  opposed  to  secession,  disunion,  and 
all  the  steps  of  the  South  Carolinians,  yet  we  saw  that  they 
were  powerless,  and  that  the  politicians  would  sweep  them  along 
rapidly  to  the  end,  prearranged  by  their  leaders  in  "Washington. 
Before  the  ordinance  of  secession  was  passed,  or  the  convention 
had  assembled,  on  the  faith  of  a  telegraphic  dispatch  sent  by 
the  two  Senators,  Benjamin  and  Slidell,  from  their  seats  in  the 
United  States  Senate  at  Washington,  Governor  Moore  ordered 
the  seizure  of  all  the  United  States  forts  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  and  Lake  Pontchartrain,  and  of  the  United  States 


154  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

arsenal  at  Baton  Rouge.  The  forts  had  no  garrisons,  but  the 
arsenal  was  held  by  a  small  company  of  artillery,  commanded 
by  Major  Haskins,  a  most  worthy  and  excellent  officer,  who  had 
lost  an  arm  in  Mexico.  I  remember  well  that  I  was  strongly 
and  bitterly  impressed  by  the  seizure  of  the  arsenal,  which 
occurred  on  January  10,  1861. 

When  I  went  first  to  Baton  Rouge,  in  1859,  en  route  to 
Alexandria,  I  found  Captain  Rickett's  company  of  artillery 
stationed  in  the  arsenal,  but  soon  after  there  was  somewhat  of  a 
clamor  on  the  Texas  frontier  about  Brownsville,  which  induced 
the  War  Department  to  order  Rickett's  company  to  that  frontier. 
I  remember  that  Governor  Moore  remonstrated  with  the  Secre 
tary  of  War  because  so  much  dangerous  property,  composed  of 
muskets,  powder,  etc.,  had  been  left  by  the  United  States  un 
guarded,  in  a  parish  where  the  slave  population  was  as  five  or 
six  to  one  of  whites ;  and  it  was  on  his  official  demand  that  the 
United  States  Government  ordered  Haskins's  company  to  replace 
Rickett's.  This  company  did  not  number  forty  men.  In  the 
night  of  January  9th,  about  five  hundred  New  Orleans  militia, 
under  command  of  a  Colonel  WTieat,  went  up  from  New  Orleans 
by  boat,  landed,  surrounded  the  arsenal,  and  demanded  its 
surrender.  Haskins  was  of  course  unprepared  for  such  a  step, 
yet  he  at  first  resolved  to  defend  the  post  as  he  best  could  with 
his  small  force.  But  Bragg,  who  was  an  old  army  acquaintance 
of  his,  had  a  parley  with  him,  exhibited  to  him  the  vastly 
superior  force  of  his  assailants,  embracing  two  field-batteries, 
and  offered  to  procure  for  him  honorable  terms,  to  march  out 
with  drums  and  colors,  and  to  take  unmolested  passage  in  a 
boat  up  to  St.  Louis;  alleging,  further,  that  the  old  Union 
was  at  an  end,  and  that  a  just  settlement  would  be  made  be 
tween  the  two  new  fragments  for  all  the  property  stored  in  the 
arsenal.  Of  course  it  was  Haskins's  duty  to  have  defended  his 
post  to  the  death ;  but  up  to  that  time  the  national  authorities 
in  Washington  had  shown  such  pusillanimity,  that  the  officers 
of  the  army  knew  not  what  to  do.  The  result,  anyhow,  was 
that  Haskins  surrendered  his  post,  and  at  once  embarked  for 
St.  Louis.  The  arms  and  munitions  stored  in  the  arsenal  were 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  155 

scattered — some  to  Mississippi,  some  to  New  Orleans,  some  to 
Shreveport ;  and  to  me,  at  the  Central  Arsenal,  were  consigned 
two  thousand  muskets,  three  hundred  Jager  rifles,  and  a  large 
amount  of  cartridges  and  ammunition.  The  invoices  were  signed 
by  the  former  ordnance-sergeant,  Olodowski,  as  a  captain  of 
ordnance,  and  I  think  he  continued  such  on  General  Bragg's 
staff  through  the  whole  of  the  subsequent  civil  war.  These 
arms,  etc.,  came  up  to  me  at  Alexandria,  with  orders  from  Gov 
ernor  Moore  to  receipt  for  and  account  for  them.  Thus  I  was 
made  the  receiver  of  stolen  goods,  and  these  goods  the  property 
of  the  United  States.  This  grated  hard  on  my  feelings  as  an 
ex-army-officer,  and  on  counting  the  arms  I  noticed  that  they 
were  packed  in  the  old  familiar  boxes,  with  the  "  U.  S."  simply 
scratched  off.  General  G.  Mason  Graham  had  resigned  as  the 
chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  Dr.  S.  A.  Smith,  of 
Alexandria,  then  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  had  succeeded 
him  as  chairman,  and  acted  as  head  of  the  Board  of  Super 
visors.  At  the  time  I  was  in  most  intimate  correspondence  with 
all  of  these  parties,  and  our  letters  must  have  been  full  of  poli 
tics,  but  I  have  only  retained  copies  of  a  few  of  the  letters, 
which  I  will  embody  in  this  connection,  as  they  will  show,  bet 
ter  than  by  any  thing  I  can  now  recall,  the  feelings  of  parties  at 
that  critical  period.  The  seizure  of  the  arsenal  at  Baton  Rouge 
occurred  January  10,  1861,  and  the  secession  ordinance  was  not 
passed  until  about  the  25th  or  26th  of  the  same  month.  At  all 
events,  after  the  seizure  of  the  arsenal,  and  before  the  passage 
of  the  ordinance  of  secession,  viz.,  on  the  18th  of  January,  I 
wrote  as  follows : 

LOUISIANA  STATE  SEMINARY  OF  LEARNING  AND  ) 
MILITARY  ACADEMY,  January  18,  1861.      ) 

Governor  THOMAS  0.  MOOEE,  Baton  Bouge,  Louisiana. 

SIB  :  As  I  occupy  a  ^wosi-military  position  tinder  the  laws  of  the  State,  I 
deem  it  proper  to  acquaint  you  that  I  accepted  such  position  when  Louisi 
ana  was  a  State  in  the  Union,  and  when  the  motto  of  this  seminary  was 
inserted  in  marble  over  the  main  door:  "By  the  liberality  of  the  General 
Government  of  the  United  States.  The  Union— esto  perpetua." 

Recent  events  foreshadow  a  great  change,  and  it  becomes  all  men  to 
choose.  If  Louisiana  withdraw  from  the  Federal  Union,  I  prefer  to  main- 


156  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

tain  my  allegiance  to  the  Constitution  as  long  as  a  fragment  of  it  survives ; 
and  my  longer  stay  here  would  be  wrong  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

In  that  event,  I  beg  you  will  send  or  appoint  some  authorized  agent  to 
take  charge  of  the  arms  and  munitions  of  war  belonging  to  the  State,  or 
advise  me  what  disposition  to  make  of  them. 

And  furthermore,  as  president  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  I  beg  you  to 
take  immediate  steps  to  relieve  me  as  superintendent,  the  moment  the 
State  determines  to  secede,  for  on  no  earthly  account  will  I  do  any  act  or 
think  any  thought  hostile  to  or  in  defiance  of  the  old  Government  of  the 
United  States. 

With  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Superintendent. 


[PBIVATE.] 

January  18,  1861. 
To  Governor  MOOBE. 

MY  DEAB  Sra :  I  take  it  for  granted  that  you  have  been  expecting  for 
some  days  the  accompanying  paper  from  me  (the  above  official  letter).  I 
have  repeatedly  and  again  made  known  to  General  Graham  and  Dr.  Smith 
that,  in  the  event  of  a  severance  of  the  relations  hitherto  existing  between 
the  Confederated  States  of  this  Union,  I  would  be  forced  to  choose  the  old 
Union.  It  is  barely  possible  all  the  States  may  secede,  South  and  North, 
that  new  combinations  may  result,  but  this  process  will  be  one  of  time  and 
uncertainty,  and  I  cannot  with  my  opinions  await  the  subsequent  develop 
ment. 

I  have  never  been  a  politician,  and  therefore  undervalue  the  excited 
feelings  and  opinions  of  present  rulers,  but  I  do  think,  if  this  people  cannot 
execute  a  form  of  government  like  the  present,  that  a  worse  one  will  result. 

I  will  keep  the  cadets  as  quiet  as  possible.  They  are  nervous,  but  I 
think  the  interest  of  the  State  requires  them  here,  guarding  this  property, 
and  acquiring  a  knowledge  which  will  be  useful  to  your  State  in  after- 
times. 

"When  I  leave,  which  I  now  regard  as  certain,  the  present  professors  can 
manage  well  enough,  to  afford  you  leisure  time  to  find  a  suitable  successor 
to  me.  You  might  order  Major  Smith  to  receipt  for  the  arms,  and  to 
exercise  military  command,  while  the  academic  exercises  could  go  on  under 
the  board.  In  time,  some  gentleman  will  turn  up,  better  qualified  than  I  am, 
to  carry  on  the  seminary  to  its  ultimate  point  of  success.  I  entertain  the 
kindest  feelings  toward  all,  and  would  leave  the  State  with  much  regret ; 
only  in  great  events  we  must  choose,  one  way  or  the  other. 

Truly,  your  friend, 

W.  T.  SHEKMAN. 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  157 

January  19,  1861— Saturday. 
Dr.  S.  A.  SMITH,  President  Board  of  Supervisors,  Baton  Rouge^  Louisiana. 

DEAB  SIB  :  I  have  just  finished  my  quarterly  reports  to  the  parents  of 
all  the  cadets  here,  or  who  have  been  here.  AH  my  books  of  account  are 
written  up  to  date.  All  bills  for  the  houses,  fences,  etc.,  are  settled,  and 
nothing  now  remains  but  tbe  daily  routine  of  recitations  and  drills.  I  have 
written  officially  and  unofficially  to  Governor  Moore,  that  with  my  opinions 
of  the  claimed  right  of  seccession,  of  the  seizure  of  public  forts,  arsenals, 
etc.,  and  the  ignominious  capture  of  a  United  States  garrison,  stationed 
in  your  midst,  as  a  guard  to  the  arsenal  and  for  the  protection  of  your 
own  people,  it  would  be  highly  improper  for  me  longer  to  remain.  No 
great  inconvenience  can  result  to  the  seminary.  I  will  be  the  chief  loser. 
I  came  down  two  months  before  my  pay  commenced.  I  made  sacrifices  in 
Kansas  to  enable  me  thus  to  obey  the  call  of  Governor  "Wickliffe,  and  you 
know  that  last  winter  I  declined  a  most  advantageous  offer  of  employment 
abroad ;  and  thus  far  I  have  received  nothing  as  superintendent  of  the 
arsenal,  though  I  went  to  "Washington  and  New  York  (at  my  own  ex 
pense)  on  the  faith  of  the  five  hundred  dollars  salary  promised. 

These  are  all  small  matters  in  comparison  with  those  involved  in  the 
present  state  of  the  country,  which  will  cause  sacrifices  by  millions,  instead 
of  by  hundreds.  The  more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  I  think  I  should  be  away, 
the  sooner  the  better ;  and  therefore  I  hope  you  will  join  with  Governor 
Moore  hi  authorizing  me  to  turn  over  to  Major  Smith  the  military  command 
here,  and  to  the  academic  board  the  control  of  the  daily  exercises  and 
recitations. 

There  will  be  no  necessity  of  your  coming  up.  You  can  let  Major 
Smith  receive  the  few  hundreds  of  cash  I  have  on  hand,  and  I  can  meet 
you  on  a  day  certain  in  New  Orleans,  when  we  can  settle  the  bank  account. 
Before  I  leave,  I  can  pay  the  steward  Jarreau  his  account  for  the  month, 
and  there  would  be  no  necessity  for  other  payments  till  about  the  close  of 
March,  by  which  time  the  board  can  meet,  and  elect  a  treasurer  and  superin 
tendent  also. 

At  present  I  have  no  class,  and  there  will  be  none  ready  till  about  the 
month  of  May,  when  there  will  be  a  class  in  "  surveying."  Even  if  you  do 
not  elect  a  superintendent  in  the  mean  time,  Major  Smith  could  easily  teach 
this  class,  as  he  is  very  familiar  with  the  subject-matter.  Indeed,  I  think 
you  will  do  well  to  leave  the  subject  of  a  new  superintendent  until  one  per 
fectly  satisfactory  turns  up. 

There  is  only  one  favor  I  would  ask.  The  seminary  has  plenty  of  money 
in  bank.  The  Legislature  will  surely  appropriate  for  my  salary  as  superin 
tendent  of  this  arsenal.  Would  you  not  let  me  make  my  drafts  on  the 
State  Treasury,  send  them  to  you,  let  the  Treasurer  note  them  for  payment 
when  the  appropriation  is  made,  and  then  pay  them  out  of  the  seminary 


158  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

fund?  The  drafts  will  be  paid  in  March,  and  the  seminary  will  lose 
nothing.  This  would  be  just  to  me;  for  I  actually  spent  two  hundred  dol 
lars  and  more  in  going  to  Washington  and  New  York,  thereby  securing 
from  the  United  States,  in  advance,  three  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  the 
very  best  arms ;  and  clothing  and  books,  at  a  clear  profit  to  the  seminary 
of  over  eight  hundred  dollars.  I  may  be  some  time  in  finding  new  employ 
ment,  and  will  stand  in  need  of  this  money  (five  hundred  dollars) ;  other 
wise  I  would  abandon  it. 

I  will  not  ask  you  to  put  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  the  trouble  of 
meeting,  unless  you  can  get  a  quorum  at  Baton  Kouge. 

"With  great  respect,  your  friend, 

W.  T.  SHEBMAN. 

By  course  of  mail,  I  received  the  following  answer  from 
Governor  Moore,  the  original  of  which  I  still  possess.  It  is  all 
in  General  Bragg's  handwriting,  with  which  I  am  familiar : 

EXECUTIVE  OFFICE, 
BATON  KOUGE,  LOUISIANA,  January  23,  1861.  J 

MY  DEAB  SIB  :  It  is  with  the  deepest  regret  I  acknowledge  receipt  of 
your  communication  of  the  18th  inst.  In  the  pressure  of  official  business, 
I  can  now  only  request  you  to  transfer  to  Prof.  Smith  the  arms,  muni 
tions,  and  funds  in  your  hands,  whenever  you  conclude  to  withdraw  from 
the  position  you  have  filled  with  so  much  distinction.  You  cannot  regret 
more  than  I  do  the  necessity  which  deprives  us  of  your  services,  and  you 
will  bear  with  you  the  respect,  confidence,  and  admiration,  of  all  who  have 
been  associated  with  you.  Very  truly,  your  friend, 

THOMAS  O.  MOORE. 
Colonel  W.  T.  SHEEMAN,  Superintendent  Military  Academy,  Alexandria. 

I  must  have  received  several  letters  from  Bragg,  about  this 
time,  which  have  not  been  preserved ;  for  I  find  that,  on  the 
1st  of  February,  1861, 1  wrote  him  thus : 

SEMINARY  OF  LEARNING,  ) 

ALEXANDRIA,  LOUISIANA,  February  1, 1861.  } 

Colonel  BBAXTON  BEAGG,  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana. 

DEAB  SIE  :  Yours  of  January  23d  and  27th  are  received.  I  thank  you 
most  kindly,  and  Governor  Moore  through  you,  for  the  kind  manner  in 
which  you  have  met  my  wishes. 

Now  that  I  cannot  be  compromised  by  political  events,  I  will  so  shape 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  159 

my  course  as  best  to  serve  the  institution,  which  has  a  strong  hold  on  my 
affections  and  respect. 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  will  be  called  for  the  9th  instant,  and  I  will  co 
operate  with  them  in  their  measures  to  place  matters  here  on  a  safe  and 
secure  basis.  I  expect  to  be  here  two  weeks,  and  will  make  you  full  re 
turns  of  money  and  property  belonging  to  the  State  Central  Arsenal.  All 
the  arms  and  ammunition  are  safely  stored  here.  Then  I  will  write  you 
more  at  length.  "With  sincere  respect,  your  friend, 

"W.  T.  SHEBMAN. 

Major  Smith's  receipt  to  me,  for  the  arms  and  property  be 
longing  both  to  the  seminary  and  to  the  arsenal,  is  dated  Febru 
ary  19,  1861.  I  subjoin  also,  in  this  connection,  copies  of  one  or 
two  papers  that  may  prove  of  interest : 

BATON  BOUGE,  January  28, 1861. 
To  Major  SHERMAN,  /Superintendent,  Alexandria. 

MY  DEAB  SIE  :  Your  letter  was  duly  received,  and  would  have  been 
answered  e're  this  time  could  I  have  arranged  sooner  the  matter  of  the 
five  hundred  dollars.  I  shall  go  from  here  to  New  Orleans  to-day  or  to 
morrow,  and  will  remain  there  till  Saturday  after  next,  perhaps.  I  shall 
expect  to  meet  you  there,  as  indicated  in  your  note  to  me. 

I  need  not  tell  you  that  it  is  with  no  ordinary  regret  that  I  view  your 
determination  to  leave  us,  for  really  I  believe  that  the  success  of  our  insti 
tution,  now  almost  assured,  is  jeopardized  thereby.  I  am  sure  that  we  will 
never  have  a  superintendent  with  whom  I  shall  have  more  pleasant  rela 
tions  than  those  which  have  existed  between  yourself  and  me. 

I  fully  appreciate  the  motives  which  have  induced  you  to  give  up  a 
position  presenting  so  many  advantages  to  yourself,  and  sincerely  hope  that 
you  may,  in  any  future  enterprise,  enjoy  the  success  which  your  character 
and  ability  merit  and  deserve. 

Should  you  come  down  on  the  Rapides  (steamer),  please  look  after  my 
wife,  who  will,  I  hope,  accompany  you  on  said  boat,  or  some  other  good  one. 

Colonel  Bragg  informs  me  that  the  necessary  orders  have  been  given  for 
the  transfer  and  receipt  by  Major  Smith  of  the  public  property. 

I  herewith  transmit  a  request  to  the  secretary  to  convene  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  that  they  may  act  as  seems  best  to  them  in  the  premises. 

In  the  mean  time,  Major  Smith  will  command  by  seniority  the  cadets, 
and  the  Academic  Board  will  be  able  to  conduct  the  scientific  exercises  of 
the  institution  until  the  Board  of  Supervisors  can  have  time  to  act.  Hoping 
to  meet  you  soon  at  the  St.  Charles,  I  am, 

Most  truly,  your  friend  and  servant,  S.  A.  SMITH. 

P.  S. — Governor  Moore  desires  me  to  express  his  profound  regret  that 


160  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

the  State  is  about  to  lose  one  who  we  all  fondly  hoped  had  cast  his  desti 
nies  for  weal  or  for  woe  among  us ;  and  that  he  is  sensible  that  we  lose 
thereby  an  officer  whom  it  will  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  replace. 

S.  A.  S. 


BATOH  EOUOE,  F&bruary  11, 1861. 
To  Major  SHEBMAIT,  Alexandria. 

DEAK  SIB  :  I  have  been  in  New  Orleans  for  ten  days,  and  on  returning 
here  find  two  letters  from  you,  also  your  prompt  answer  to  the  resolution 
of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives,  for  which  I  am  much  obliged. 

The  resolution  passed  the  last  day  before  adjournment.  I  was  purposing 
to  respond,  when  your  welcome  reports  came  to  hand.  I  have  arranged  to 
pay  you  your  five  hundred  dollars. 

I  will  say  nothing  of  general  politics,  except  to  give  my  opinion  that 
there  is  not  to  be  any  war. 

In  that  event,  would  it  not  be  possible  for  you  to  become  a  citizen  of 
our  State  ?  Every  one  deplores  your  determination  to  leave  us.  At  the 
same  time,  your  friends  feel  that  you  are  abandoning  a  position  that  might 
become  an  object  of  desire  to  any  one. 

I  will  try  to  meet  you  in  New  Orleans  at  any  time  you  may  indicate  ; 
but  it  would  be  best  for  you  to  stop  here,  when,  if  possible,  I  will  accom 
pany  you.  Should  you  do  so,  you  will  find  me  just  above  the  State-House, 
and  facing  it. 

Bring  with  you  a  few  copies  of  the  "  Eules  of  the  Seminary." 

Yours  truly,  S.  A.  SMITH. 


LOUISIANA  STATE  SEMINARY  OF  LEARNING  AND  ) 
MILITARY  ACADEMY,  February  14, 1861.         ) 
Colonel  "W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

SIE  :  I  am  instructed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  this  institution  to 
present  a  copy  of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  them  at  their  last  meeting  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  are  due,  and  are 
hereby  tendered,  to  Colonel  William  T.  Sherman  for  the  able  and  efficient 
manner  in  which  he  has  conducted  the  affairs  of  the  seminary  during  the 
time  the  institution  has  been  under  his  control — a  period  attended  with 
unusual  difficulties,  requiring  on  the  part  of  the  superintendent  to  success 
fully  overcome  them  a  high  order  of  administrative  talent.  And  the  board 
further  bear  willing  testimony  to  the  valuable  services  that  Colonel  Sher 
man  has  rendered  them  in  their  efforts  to  establish  an  institution  of  learn 
ing  in  accordance  with  the  beneficent  design  of  the  State  and  Federal  Gov 
ernments  ;  evincing  at  all  times  a  readiness  to  adapt  himself  to  the  ever- 
varying  requirements  of  an  institution  of  learning  in  its  infancy,  struggling 
to  attain  a  position  of  honor  and  usefulness. 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  161 

"  Resolved,  further,  That,  in  accepting  the  resignation  of  Colonel  Sher 
man  as  Superintendent  of  the  State  Seminary  of  Learning  and  Military 
Academy,  we  tender  to  him  assurances  of  our  high  personal  regard,  and 
our  sincere  regret  at  the  occurrence  of  causes  that  render  it  necessary  to 
part  with  so  esteemed  and  valued  a  friend,  as  well  as  co-lahorer  in  the 

cause  of  education." 

POWHATAN  CLABKE,  Secretary  to  the  Board. 

A  copy  of  the  resolution  of  the  Academic  Board,  passed  at 
their  session  of  April  1,  1861 : 

"  Resolved,  That  in  the  resignation  of  the  late  superintendent,  Colonel 
"W.  T.  Sherman,  the  Academic  Board  deem  it  not  improper  to  express  their 
deep  conviction  of  the  loss  the  institution  has  sustained  in  heing  thus  de 
prived  of  an  able  head.  They  cannot  fail  to  appreciate  the  manliness  of 
character  which  has  always  marked  the  actions  of  Colonel  Sherman.  While 
he  is  personally  endeared  to  many  of  them  as  a  friend,  they  consider  it  their 
high  pleasure  to  tender  to  him  in  this  resolution  their  regret  on  his  separa 
tion,  and  their  sincere  wish  for  his  future  welfare." 

I.  have  given  the  above  at  some  length,  because,  during  the 
civil  war,  it  was  in  Southern  circles  asserted  that  I  was  guilty 
of  a  breach  of  hospitality  in  taking  up  arms  against  the  South. 
They  were  manifestly  the  aggressors,  and  we  could  only  defend 
our  own  by  assailing  them.  Yet,  without  any  knowledge  of 
what  the  future  had  in  store  for  me,  I  took  unusual  precautions 
that  the  institution  should  not  be  damaged  by  my  withdrawal. 
About  the  20th  of  February,  having  turned  over  all  property, 
records,  and  money,  on  hand,  to  Major  Smith,  and  taking  with 
me  the  necessary  documents  to  make  the  final  settlement  with 
Dr.  S.  A.  Smith,  at  the  bank  in  New  Orleans,  where  the  funds 
of  the  institution  were  deposited  to  my  credit,  I  took  passage 
from  Alexandria  for  that  city,  and  arrived  there,  I  think,  on  the 
23d.  Dr.  Smith  met  me,  and  we  went  to  the  bank,  where  I 
turned  over  to  him  the  balance,  got  him  to  audit  all  my  ac 
counts,  certify  that  they  were  correct  and  just,  and  that  there  re 
mained  not  one  cent  of  balance  in  my  hands.  I  charged  in  my 
account  current  for  my  salary  up  to  the  end  of  February,  at  the 
rate  of  four  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  for  the  five  hundred 
dollars  due  me  as  superintendent  of  the  Central  Arsenal,  all  of 
11  ' 


162  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

•which  was  due  and  had  been  fairly  earned,  and  then  I  stood  free 
and  discharged  of  any  and  every  obligation,  honorary  or  busi 
ness,  that  was  due  by  me  to  the  State  of  Louisiana,  or  to  any 
corporation  or  individual  in  that  State. 

This  business  occupied  two  or  three  days,  during  which  I 
staid  at  the  St.  Louis  Hotel.  I  usually  sat  at  table  with  Colo 
nel  and  Mrs.  Bragg,  and  an  officer  who  wore  the  uniform  of 
the  State  of  Louisiana,  and  was  addressed  as  captain.  Bragg 
wore  a  colonel's  uniform,  and  explained  to  me  that  he  was  a 
colonel  in  the  State  service,  a  colonel  of  artillery,  and  that  some 
companies  of  his  regiment  garrisoned  Forts  Jackson  and  St. 
Philip,  and  the  arsenal  at  Baton  Rouge. 

Beauregard  at  the  time  had  two  sons  at  the  Seminary  of 
Learning.  I  had  given  them  some  of  my  personal  care  at  the 
father's  request,  and,  wanting  to  tell  him  of  their  condition  and 
progress,  I  went  to  his  usual  office  in  the  Customhouse  Build 
ing,  and  found  him  in  the  act  of  starting  for  Montgomery,  Ala 
bama.  Bragg  said  afterward  that  Beauregard  had  been  sent  for 
by  Jefferson  Davis,  and  that  it  was  rumored  that  he  had  been 
made  a  brigadier-general,  of  which  fact  he  seemed  jealous,  be 
cause  in  the  old  army  Bragg  was  the  senior.  • 

Davis  and  Stephens  had  been  inaugurated  President  and 
Vice-President  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  February 
18,  1860,  at  Montgomery,  and  those  States  only  embraced  the 
seven  cotton  States.  I  recall  a  conversation  at  the  tea-table,  one 
evening,  at  the  St.  Louis  Hotel.  When  Bragg  was  speaking 
of  Beauregard's  promotion,  Mrs.  Bragg,  turning  to  me,  said, 
"  You  know  that  my  husband  is  not  a  favorite  with  the  new 
President."  My  mind  was  resting  on  Mr.  Lincoln  as  the  new 
President,  and  I  said  I  did  not  know  that  Bragg  had  ever  met 
Mr.  Lincoln,  when  Mrs.  Bragg  said,  quite  pointedly,  "  I  didn't 
mean  your  President,  but  our  President."  I  knew  that  Bragg 
hated  Davis  bitterly,  and  that  he  had  resigned  from  the  army 
in  1855,  or  1856,  because  Davis,  as  Secretary  of  War,  had  or 
dered  him,  with  his  battery,  from  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri, 
to  Fort  Smith  or  Fort  Washita,  in  the  Indian  country,  as  Bragg 
expressed  it,  "  to  chase  Indians  with  six-pounders." 


1859-'61.j  LOUISIANA.  163 

I  visited  the  quartermaster,  Colonel  A.  C.  Myers,  who  had 
resigned  from  the  army,  January  28,  1861,  and  had  accepted 
service  under  the  new  regime.  His  office  was  in  the  same 
old  room  in  the  Lafayette  Square  "building,  which  he  had  in 
1853,  when  I  was  there  a  commissary,  with  the  same  pictures 
on  the  wall,  and  the  letters  "  IT.  S."  on  every  thing,  including 
his  desk,  papers,  etc.  I  asked  him  if  he  did  not  feel  funny. 
"  No,  not  at  all.  The  thing  was  inevitable,  secession  was  a  com 
plete  success ;  there  would  be  no  war,  but  the  two  Governments 
would  settle  all  matters  of  business  in  a  friendly  spirit,  and  each 
would  go  on  in  its  allotted  sphere,  without  further  confusion." 
About  this  date,  February  16th,  General  Twiggs,  Myers's  father- 
in-law,  had  surrendered  his  entire  command,  in  the  Department 
of  Texas,  to  some  State  troops,  with  all  the  Government  prop 
erty,  thus  consummating  the  first  serious  step  in  the  drama  of 
the  conspiracy,  which  was  to  form  a  confederacy  of  the  cotton 
States,  before  working  upon  the  other  slave  or  border  States, 
and  before  the  4th  of  March,  the  day  for  the  inauguration  of 
President  Lincoln. 

I  walked  the  streets  of  New  Orleans,  and  found  business 
"going  along  as  usual.  Ships  were  strung  for  miles  along  the 
lower  levee,  and  steamboats  above,  all  discharging  or  receiving 
cargo.  The  Pelican  flag  of  Louisiana  was  flying  over  the  Custom- 
House,  Mint,  City  Hall,  and  everywhere.  At  the  levee  ships 
carried  every  flag  on  earth  except  that  of  the  United  States,  and 
I  was  told  that  during  a  procession  on  the  22d  of  February,  cele 
brating  their  emancipation  from  the  despotism  of  the  United 
States  Government,  only  one  national  flag  was  shown  from  a 
house,  and  that  the  house  of  Cuthbert  Bullitt,  on  Lafayette 
Square.  He  was  commanded  to  take  it  down,  but  he  refused, 
and  defended  it  with  his  pistol. 

The  only  officer  of  the  army  that  I  can  recall,  as  being  there 
at  the  time,  who  was  faithful,  was  Colonel  C.  L.  Kilburn,  of 
the  Commissary  Department,  and  he  was  preparing  to  escape 
North. 

Everybody  regarded  the  change  of  Government  as  final ; 
that  Louisiana,  by  a  mere  declaration,  was  a  free  and  indepen- 


164  LOUISIANA.  [1859-'61. 

dent  State,  and  could  enter  into  any  new  alliance  or  combination 
she  chose. 

Men  were  being  enlisted  and  armed,  to  defend  the  State,  and 
there  was  not  the  least  evidence  that  the  national  Administration 
designed  to  make  any  effort,  by  force,  to  vindicate  the  national 
authority.  I  therefore  bade  adieu  to  all  my  friends,  and  about 
the  25th  of  February  took  my  departure  by  railroad,  for  Lan 
caster,  via  Cairo  and  Cincinnati. 

Before  leaving  this  subject,  I  will  simply  record  the  fate  of 
some  of  my  associates.  The  seminary  was  dispersed  by  the  war, 
and  all  the  professors  and  cadets  took  service  in  the  Confederacy, 
except  Yallas,  St.  Ange,  and  Cadet  Taliaf  erro.  The  latter  joined 
a  Union  regiment,  as  a  lieutenant,  after  New  Orleans  was  re 
taken  by  the  United  States  fleet,  under  Farragut.  I  think  that 
both  Yallas  and  St.  Ange  have  died  in  poverty  since  the  war. 
Major  Smith  joined  the  rebel  army  in  Virginia,  and  was  killed 
in  April,  1865,  as  he  was  withdrawing  his  garrison,  by  night, 
from  the  batteries  at  Drury's  Bluff,  at  the  time  General  Lee 
began  his  final  retreat  from  Richmond.  Boyd  became  a  captain 
of  engineers  on  the  staff  of  General  Richard  Taylor,  was  captured, 
and  was  in  jail  at  Natchez,  Mississippi,  when  I  was  on  my  Me 
ridian  expedition.  He  succeeded  in  getting  a  letter  to  me  on 
my  arrival  at  Yicksburg,  and,  on  my  way  down  to  New  Orleans, 
I  stopped  at  Natchez,  took  him  along,  and  enabled  him  to  effect 
an  exchange  through  General  Banks.  As  soon  as  the  war  was 
over,  he  returned  to  Alexandria,  and  reorganized  the  old  insti 
tution,  where  I  visited  him  in  1867 ;  but,  the  next  winter,  the 
building  took  fire  and  burned  to  the  ground.  The  students, 
library,  apparatus,  etc.,  were  transferred  to  Baton  Rouge,  where 
the  same  institution  now  is,  under  the  title  of  the  Louisiana 
University.  I  have  been  able  to  do  them  many  acts  of  kind 
ness,  and  am  still  in  correspondence  with  Colonel  Boyd,  its 
president. 

General  G.  Mason  Graham  is  still  living  on  his  plantation, 
on  Bayou  Rapides,  old  and  much  respected. 

Dr.  S.  A.  Smith  became  a  surgeon  in  the  rebel  army,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  war  was  medical  director  of  the  trans-Missis- 


1859-'61.]  LOUISIANA.  165 

sippi  Department,  with  General  Kirby  Smith.     I  hare  seen  him 
since  the  war,  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  died  about  a  year  ago. 

Dr.  Clark  was  in  "Washington  recently,  applying  for  a  place 
as  United  -States  consul  abroad.     I  assisted  him,  "but  with  no 
success,  and  he  is  now  at  Baltimore,  Maryland. 
t      After  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  I  found  among  the  prisoners 

Cadet ,  fitted  him  out  with  some  clean  clothing,  of  which 

he  was  in  need,  and  from  him  learned  that  Cadet  Workman 
was  killed  in  that  battle. 

Governor  Moore's  plantation  was  devastated  by  General 
Banks's  troops.  After  the  war  he  appealed  to  me,  and  through 
the  Attorney-General,  Henry  Stanbery,  I  aided  in  having  his 
land  restored  to  him,  and  I  think  he  is  now  living  there. 

Bragg,  Beauregard,  and  Taylor,  enacted  high  parts  in  the 
succeeding  war,  and  now  reside  in  Louisiana  or  Texas. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MISSOTJKI. 
APRIL   AND  MAT,  1861. 

DURING-  the  time  of  these  events  in  Louisiana,  I  was  in  con 
stant  correspondence  with  my  brother,  John  Sherman,  at  Wash 
ington  ;  Mr.  Ewing,  at  Lancaster,  Ohio ;  and  Major  H.  S.  Turner, 
at  St.  Louis.  I  had  managed  to  maintain  my  family  comfortably 
at  Lancaster,  but  was  extremely  anxious  about  the  future.  It 
looked  like  the  end  of  my  career,  for  I  did  not  suppose  that 
"  civil  war  "  could  give  me  an  employment  that  would  provide 
for  the  family.  I  thought,  and  may  have  said,  that  the  national 
crisis  had  been  brought  about  by  the  politicians,  and,  as  it 
was  upon  us,  they  "might  fight  it  out."  Therefore,  when  I 
turned  North  from  New  Orleans,  I  felt  more  disposed  to  look  to 
St.  Louis  for  a  home,  and  to  Major  Turner  to  find  me  employ 
ment,  than  to  the  public  service. 

I  left  New  Orleans  about  the  1st  of  March,  1861,  by  rail  to 
Jackson  and  Clinton,  Mississippi,  Jackson,  Tennessee,  and 
Columbus,  Kentucky,  where  we  took  a  boat  to  Cairo,  and  thence, 
by  rail,  to  Cincinnati  and  Lancaster.  All  the  way,  I  heard,  in 
the  cars  and  boats,  warm  discussions  about  politics ;  to  the  effect 
that,  if  Mr.  Lincoln  should  attempt  coercion  of  the  seceded 
States,  the  other  slave  or  border  States  would  make  common 
cause,  when,  it  was  believed,  it  would  be  madness  to  attempt 
to  reduce  them  to  subjection.  In  the  South,  the  people  were 
earnest,  fierce  and  angry,  and  were  evidently  organizing  for 
action ;  whereas,  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Ohio,  I  saw  not  the 


1861.]  MISSOURI.  167 

least  sign  of  preparation.  It  certainly  looked  to  me  as  though 
the  people  of  the  North  would  tamely  submit  to  a  disruption  of 
the  Union,  and  the  orators  of  the  South  used,  openly  and  con 
stantly,  the  expressions  that  there  would  be  no  war,  and  that  a 
lady's  thimble  would  hold  all  the  blood  to  be  shed.  On  reaching 
Lancaster,  I  found  letters  from  my  brother  John,  inviting  me  to 
come  to  "Washington,  as  he  wanted  to  see  me ;  and  from  Major 
Turner,  at  St.  Louis,  that  he  was  trying  to  secure  for  me  the 
office  of  president  of  the  Fifth  Street  Railroad,  with  a  salary 
of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars ;  that  Mr.  Lucas  and  D.  A. 
January  held  a  controlling  interest  of  stock,  would  vote  for 
me,  and  the  election  would  occur  in  March.  This  suited  me 
exactly,  and  I  answered  Turner  that  I  would  accept,  with  thanks. 
But  I  also  thought  it  right  and  proper  that  I  should  first  go  to 
"Washington,  to  talk  with  my  brother,  Senator  Sherman. 

Mr.  Lincoln  had  just  been  installed,  and  the  newspapers  were 
filled  with  rumors  of  every  kind  indicative  of  war ;  the  chief  act 
of  interest  was  that  Major  Robert  Anderson  had  taken  by  night 
into  Fort  Sumter  all  the  troops  garrisoning  Charleston  Harbor, 
and  that  he  was  determined  to  defend  it  against  the  demands  of 
the  State  of  South  Carolina  and  of  the  Confederate  States.  I 
must  have  reached  Washington  about  the  10th  of  March.  I  found 
my  brother  there,  just  appointed  Senator,  in  place  of  Mr.  Chase, 
who  was  in  the  cabinet,  and  I  have  no  doubt  my  opinions, 
thoughts,  and  feelings,  wrought  up  by  the  events  in  Louisiana, 
seemed  to  him  gloomy  and  extravagant.  About  Washington  I 
saw  but  few  signs  of  preparation,  though  the  Southern  Senators 
and  Representatives  were  daily  sounding  their  threats  on  the  floors 
of  Congress,  and  were  publicly  withdrawing  to  join  the  Confed 
erate  Congress  at  Montgomery.  Even  in  the  War  Department 
and  about  the  public  offices  there  was  open,  unconcealed  talk, 
amounting  to  high-treason. 

One  day,  John  Sherman  took  me  with  him  to  see  Mr.  Lincoln. 
He  walked  into  the  room  where  the  secretary  to  the  President 
now  sits,  we  found  the  room  full  of.  people,  and  Mr.  Lincoln 
sat  at  the  end  of  the  table,  talking  with  three  or  four  gentle 
men,  who  soon  left.  John  walked  up,  shook  hands,  and  took  a 


168  MISSOUKI.  [1861. 

chair  near  him,  holding  in  his  hand  some  papers  referring  to 
minor  appointments  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  which  formed  the 
subject  of  conversation.  Mr.  Lincoln  took  the  papers,  said  he 
would  refer  them  to  the  proper  heads  of  departments,  and 
would  be  glad  to  make  the  appointments  asked  for,  if  not 
already  promised.  John  then  turned  to  me,  and  said,  "Mr. 
President,  this  is  my  brother,  Colonel  Sherman,  who  is  just  up 
from  Louisiana,  he  may  give  you  some  information  you  want." 
"  Ah  ! "  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  "  how  are  they  getting  along  down 
there  ? "  I  said,  "  They  think  they  are  getting  along  swimming 
ly — they  are  preparing  for  war."  "  Oh,  well ! "  said  he,  "  I 
guess  we'll  manage  to  keep  house."  I  was  silenced,  said  no  more 
to  him,  and  we  soon  left.  I  was  sadly  disappointed,  and  remem 
ber  that  I  broke  out  on  John,  d — ning  the  politicians  generally, 
saying,  "  You  have  got  things  in  a  hell  of  a  fix,  and  you  may  get 
them  out  as  you  best  can,"  adding  that  the  country  was  sleeping 
on  a  volcano  that  might  burst  forth  at  any  minute,  but  that  I  was 
going  to  St.  Louis  to  take  care  of  my  family,  and  would  have 
no  more  to  do  with  it.  John  begged  me  to  be  more  patient, 
but  I  said  I  would  not;  that  I  had  no  time  to  wait,  that  I 
was  off  for  St.  Louis ;  and  off  I  went.  At  Lancaster  I  found 
letters  from  Major  Turner,  inviting  me  to  St.  Louis,  as  the 
place  in  the  Fifth  Street  Railroad  was  a  sure  thing,  and  that 
Mr.  Lucas  would  rent  me  a  good  house  on  Locust  Street,  suitable 
for  my  family,  for  six  hundred  dollars  a  year. 

Mrs.  Sherman  and  I  gathered  our  family  and  effects  together, 
started  for  St.  Louis  March  27th,  where  we  rented  of  Mr. 
Lucas  the  house  on  Locust  Street,  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh, 
and  occupied  it  on  the  1st  of  April.  Charles  Ewing  and  John 
Hunter  had  formed  a  law-partnership  in  St.  Louis,  and  agreed 
to  board  with  us,  taking  rooms  on  the  third  floor  In  the  latter 
part  of  March,  I  was  duly  elected  president  of  the  Fifth  Street 
Railroad,  and  entered  on  the  discharge  of  my  duties  April  1, 
1861.  We  had  a  central  office  on  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Lo 
cust,  and  also  another  up  at  the  stables  in  Bremen.  The  road 
was  well  stocked  and  in  full  operation,  and  all  I  had  to  do  was 
to  watch  the  economical  administration  of  existing  affairs,  which 


1861.]  MISSOURI.  169 

I  endeavored  to  do  with  fidelity  and  zeal.  But  the  whole  air 
was  full  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars.  The  struggle  was  going 
on  politically  for  the  border  States.  Even  in  Missouri,  which 
was  a  slave  State,  it  was  manifest  that  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
Claiborne  Jackson,  and  all  the  leading  politicians,  were  for  the 
South  in  case  of  a  war.  The  house  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Fifth  and  Pine  was  the  rebel  headquarters,  where  the  rebel  flag 
was  hung  publicly,  and  the  crowds  about  the  Planters'  House 
were  all  more  or  less  rebel.  There  was  also  a  camp  in  Lindell's 
Grove,  at  the  end  of  Olive  Street,  under  command  of  General 
D.  M.  Frost,  a  Northern  man,  a  graduate  of  "West  Point,  in 
open  sympathy  with  the  Southern  leaders.  This  camp  was 
nominally  a  State  camp  of  instruction,  but,  beyond  doubt,  was 
in  the  interest  of  the  Southern  cause,  designed  to  be  used  against 
the  national  authority  in  the  event  of  the  General  Government's 
attempting  to  coerce  the  Southern  Confederacy.  General  Wil 
liam  S.  Harney  was  in  command  of  the  Department  of  Missouri, 
and  resided  in  his  own  house,  on  Fourth  Street,-  below  Market ; 
and  there  were  five  or  six  companies  of  United  States  troops  in 
the  arsenal,  commanded  by  Captain  K.  Lyon ;  throughout  the 
city,  there  had  been  organized,  almost  exclusively  out  of  the 
German  part  of  the  population,  four  or  five  regiments  of  "  Home 
Guards,"  with  which  movement  Frank  Blair,  B.  Gratz  Brown, 
John  M.  Schofield,  Clinton  B.  Fisk,  and  others,  were  most 
active  on  the  part  of  the  national  authorities.  Frank  Blair's 
brother  Montgomery  was  in  the  cabinet  of  Mr.  Lincoln  at 
Washington,  and  to  him  seemed  committed  the  general  man 
agement  of  affairs  in  Missouri. 

The  newspapers  fanned  the  public  excitement  to  the  high 
est  pitch,   and  threats  of  attacking  the  arsenal  on  the  one 

hand,  and  the  mob  of  d d  rebels  in  Camp  Jackson  on 

the  other,  were  bandied  about.  I  tried  my  best  to  keep  out 
of  the  current,  and  only  talked  freely  with  a  few  men ;  among 
them  Colonel  John  O'Fallon,  a  wealthy  gentleman  who  re 
sided  above  St.  Louis.  He  daily  came  down  to  my  office  in 
Bremen,  and  we  walked  up  and  down  the  pavement  by  the 
hour,  deploring  the  sad  condition  of  our  country,  and  the  seem- 


170  MISSOURI.  [1861. 

ing  drift  toward  dissolution  and  anarchy.  I  used  also  to  go 
down  to  the  arsenal  occasionally  to  see  Lyon,  Totten,  and  other 
of  my  army  acquaintance,  and  was  glad  to  see  them  making 
preparations  to  defend  their  post,  if  not  to  assume  the  offensive. 

The  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter,  which  was  announced 
by  telegraph,  began  April  12th,  and  ended  on  the  14th.  "We  then 
knew  that  the  war  was  actually  begun,  and  though  the  South  was 
openly,  manifestly  the  aggressor,  yet  her  friends  and  apologists 
insisted  that  she  was  simply  acting  on  a  justifiable  defensive, 
and  that  in  the  forcible  seizure  of  the  public  forts  within  her 
limits  the  people  were  acting  with  reasonable  prudence  and  fore 
sight.  Yet  neither  party  seemed  willing  to  invade,  or  cross  the 
border.  Davis,  who  ordered  the  bombardment  of  Sumter,  knew 
the  temper  of  his  people  well,  and  foresaw  that  it  would  precipi 
tate  the  action  of  the  border  States;  for  almost  immediately 
Virginia,  North  Carolina,  Arkansas,  and  Tennessee,  followed 
the  lead  of  the  cotton  States,  and  conventions  were  deliberating 
in  Kentucky  and  Missouri. 

On  the  night  of  Saturday,  April  6th,  I  received  the  follow 
ing  dispatch : 

WASHINGTON,  April  6, 1861. 
Major  W.  T.  SHEBMAN  : 

"Will  you  accept  the  chief  clerkship  of  the  "War  Department  ?  We  will 
make  you  assistant  Secretary  of  "War  when  Congress  meets. 

M.  BLAIE,  Postmaster- General. 

To  which  I  replied  by  telegraph,  Monday  morning,  "  I  can 
not  accept ; "  and  by  mail  as  follows : 

OFFICE  ST.  Louis  BAILROAD  Coupxirr, \ 
Monday,  April  8, 1861.         ) 
Eon.  M.  BLAIE,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

I  received,  ahout  nine  o'clock  Saturday  night,  your  telegraph  dispatch, 
•which  I  have  this  moment  answered,  "  I  cannot  accept." 

I  have  quite  a  large  family,  and  when  I  resigned  my  place  in  Louisiana, 
on  account  of  secession,  I  had  no  time  to  lose;  and,  therefore,  after  my 
hasty  visit  to  Washington,  where  I  saw  no  chance  of  employment,  I  came 
to  St.  Louis,  have  accepted  a  place  in  this  company,  have  rented  a  house, 
and  incurred  other  obligations,  so  that  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  change. 


1861.]  MISSOURI. 

I  thank  you  for  the  compliment  contained  in  your  offer,  and  assure  you 
that  I  wish  the  Administration  all  success  in  its  almost  impossible  task  of 
governing  this  distracted  and  anarchical  people. 

Yours  truly,  ~W.  T.  SHEBMAN. 

I  was  afterward  told  that  this  letter  gave  offense,  and  that 
some  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  cabinet  concluded  that  I  too  would 
prove  false  to  the  country. 

Later  in  that  month,  after  the  capture  of  Fort  Sumter  by 
the  Confederate  authorities,  a  Dr.  Cornyn  came  to  our  house 
on  Locust  Street,  one  night  after  I  had  gone  to  bed,  and  told 
me  he  had  been  sent  by  Frank  Blair,  who  was  not  well,  and 
wanted  to  see  me  that  night  at  his  house.  I  dressed  and  walked 
over  to  his  house  on  Washington  Avenue,  near  Fourteenth,  and 
found  there,  in  the  front-room,  several  gentlemen,  among  whom 
I  recall  Henry  T.  Blow.  Blair  was  in  the  back-room,  closeted 
with  some  gentleman,  who  soon  left,  and  I  was  called  in.  He 
there  told  me  that  the  Government  was  mistrustful  of  General 
Harney,  that  a  change  in  the  command  of  the  department  was 
to  be  made ;  that  he  held  it  in  his  power  to  appoint  a  brigadier- 
general,  and  put  him  in  command  of  the  department,  and  he 
offered  me  the  place.  I  told  him  I  had  once  offered  my  services, 
and  they  were  declined  ;  that  I  had  made  business  engagements 
in  St.  Louis,  which  I  could  not  throw  off  at  pleasure ;  that  I  had 
long  deliberated  on  my  course  of  action,  and  must  decline  his 
offer,  however  tempting  and  complimentary.  He  reasoned  with 
me,  but  I  persisted.  He  told  me,  in  that  event,  he  should  ap 
point  Lyon,  and  he  did  so. 

Finding  that  even  my  best  friends  were  uneasy  as  to  my  po 
litical  status,  on  the  8th  of  May  I  addressed  the  following  official 
letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War  : 

OFFICE  or  ST.  Louis  RAILROAD  COJCPAXT,  ) 
May  8, 1861.         j 

Eon.  S.  CAMEBOIT,  Secretary  of  War,  Washington,  D.  C. 

DEAR  SIB  :  I  hold  myself  now,  as  always,  prepared  to  serve  my  country 
in  the  capacity  for  which  I  was  trained.  I  did  not  and  will  not  volunteer 
for  three  months,  because  I  cannot  throw  my  family  on  the  cold  charity  of 


172  MISSOURI.  [1861. 

the  world.     But  for  the  three-years  call,  made  by  the  President,  an  officer 
can  prepare  his  command  and  do  good  service. 

I  will  not  volunteer  as  a  soldier,  because  rightfully  or  wrongfully  I  feel 
unwilling  to  take  a  mere  private's  place,  and,  having  for  many  years  lived 
in  California  and  Louisiana,  the  men  are  not  well  enough  acquainted  with 
me  to  elect  me  to  my  appropriate  place. 

Should  my  services  be  needed,  the  records  of  the  War  Department  will 
enable  you  to  designate  the  station  hi  which  I  can  render  most  service. 
Yours  truly,  "W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

To  tliis  I  do  not  think  I  received  a  direct  answer;  but,  on  the 
14th  of  the  same  month,  I  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  Thir 
teenth  Regular  Infantry. 

I  remember  going  to  the  arsenal  on  the  9th  of  May,  taking 
my  children  with  me  in  the  street-cars.  "Within  the  arsenal  wall 
were  drawn  up  in  parallel  lines  four  regiments  of  the  "  Home 
Guards,"  and  I  saw  men  distributing  cartridges  to  the  boxes. 
I  also  saw  General  Lyon  running  about  with  his  hair  in  the 
wind,  his  pockets  full  of  papers,  wild  and  irregular,  but  I  knew 
him  to  be  a  man  of  vehement  purpose  and  of  determined  action. 
I  saw  of  course  that  it  meant  business,  but  whether  for  defense 
or  offense  I  did  not  know.  The  next  morning  I  went  up  to  the 
railroad-office  in  Bremen,  as  usual,  and  heard  at  every  corner  of 
the  streets  that  the  "  Dutch "  were  moving  on  Camp  Jackson. 
People  were  barricading  their  houses,  and  men  were  running  in 
that  direction.  I  hurried  through  my  business  as  quickly  as  I 
could,  and  got  back  to  my  house  on  Locust  Street  by  twelve 
o'clock.  Charles  Ewing  and  Hunter  were  there,  and  insisted  on 
going  out  to  the  camp  to  see  "  the  fun."  I  tried  to  dissuade  them, 
saying  that  in  case  of  conflict  the  by-standers  were  more  likely 
to  be  killed  than  the  men  engaged,  but  they  would  go.  I  felt  as 
much  interest  as  anybody  else,  but  staid  at  home,  took  my  little 
son  "Willie,  who  was  about  seven  years  old,  and  walked  up  and 
down  the  pavement  in  front  of  our  house,  listening  for  the 
sound  of  musketry  or  cannon  in  the  direction  of  Camp  Jackson. 
"While  so  engaged  Miss  Eliza  Deans,  who  lived  opposite  us, 
called  me  across  the  street,  told  me  that  her  brother-in-law, 
Dr.  Scott,  was  a  surgeon  in  Frost's  camp,  and  she  was  dread- 


1861.]  MISSOURI.  173 

fully  afraid  lie  would  be  killed.  I  reasoned  with  her  that  Gen 
eral  Lyon  was  a  regular  officer;  that  if  he  had  gone  out,  as 
reported,  to  Camp  Jackson,  he  would  take  with  him  such  a  force 
as  would  make  resistance  impossible ;  but  she  would  not  be  com 
forted,  saying  that  the  camp  was  made  up  of  the  young  men 
from  the  first  and  best  families  of  St.  Louis,  and  that  they  were 
proud,  and  would  fight.  I  explained  that  young  men  of  the 
best  families  did  not  like  to  be  killed  better  than  ordinary 
people.  Edging  gradually  up  the  street,  I  was  in  Olive  Street 
just  about  Twelfth,  when  I  saw  a  man  running  from  the  di 
rection  of  Camp  Jackson  at  full  speed,  calling,  as  he  went, 
"  They've  surrendered,  they've  surrendered ! "  So  I  turned  back 
and  rang  the  bell  at  Mrs.  Deans's.  Eliza  came  to  the  door, 
and  I  explained  what  I  had  heard;  but  she  angrily  slammed 
the  door  in  my  face  1  Evidently  she  was  disappointed  to  find 
she  was  mistaken  in  her  estimate  of  the  rash  courage  of  the 
best  families. 

I  again  turned  in  the  direction  of  Camp  Jackson,  my  boy 
"Willie  with  me  still.  At  the  head  of  Olive  Street,  abreast  of 
Lindell's  Grove,  I  found  Frank  Blair's  regiment  in  the  street, 
with  ranks  opened,  and  the  Camp  Jackson  prisoners  inside.  A 
crowd  of  people  was  gathered  around,  calling  to  the  prisoners 
by  name,  some  hurrahing  for  Jeff  Davis,  and  others  encouraging 
the  troops.  Men,  women,  and  children,  were  in  the  crowd.  I 
passed  along  till  I  found  myself  inside  the  grove,  where  I  met 
Charles  Ewing  and  John  Hunter,  and  we  stood  looking  at  the 
troops  on  the  road,  heading  toward  the  city.  A  band  of  music 
was  playing  at  the  head,  and  the  column  made  one  or  two  in 
effectual  starts,  but  for  some  reason  was  halted.  The  battalion 
of  regulars  was  abreast  of  me,  of  which  Major  Kufus  Saxton 
was  in  command,  and  I  gave  him  an  evening  paper,  which 
I  had  bought  of  the  newsboy  on  my  way  out.  He  was  read 
ing  from  it  some  piece  of  news,  sitting  on  his  horse,  when 
the  column  again  began  to  move  forward,  and  he  resumed 
his  place  at  the  head  of  his  command.  At  that  part  of  the 
road,  or  street,  was  an  embankment  about  eight  feet  high,  and  a 
drunken  fellow  tried  to  pass  over  it  to  the  people  opposite. 


174:  MISSOURI.  [1861. 

One  of  the  regular  sergeant  file-closers  ordered  him  back,  but 
he  attempted  to  pass  through  the  ranks,  when  the  sergeant 
barred  his  progress  with  his  musket  "a-port."  The  drunken 
man  seized  his  musket,  when  the  sergeant  threw  him  off  with 
violence,  and  he  rolled  over  and  over  down  the  bank.  By  the 
time  this  man  had  picked  himself  up  and  got  his  hat,  which  had 
fallen  off,  and  had  again  mounted  the  embankment,  the  regulars 
had  passed,  and  the  head  of  Osterhaus's  regiment  of  Home 
Guards  had  come  up.  The  man  had  in  his  hand  a  small  pistol, 
which  he  fired  off,  and  I  heard  that  the  ball  had  struck  the  leg 
of  one  of  Osterhaus's  staff ;  the  regiment  stopped ;  there  was  a 
moment  of  confusion,  when  the  soldiers  of  that  regiment  began 
to  fire  over  our  heads  in  the  grove.  I  heard  the  balls  cutting 
the  leaves  above  our  heads,  and  saw  several  men  and  women 
running  in  all  directions,  some  of  whom  were  wounded.  Of 
course  there  was  a  general  stampede.  Charles  Ewihg  threw 
Willie  on  the  ground  and  covered  him  with  his  body.  Hunter 
ran  behind  the  hill,  and  I  also  threw  myself  on  the  ground. 
The  fire  ran  back  from  the  head  of  the  regiment  toward  its 
rear,  and  as  I  saw  the  men  reloading  their  pieces,  I  jerked 
Willie  up,  ran  back  with  him  into  a  -gulley  which  covered  us, 
lay  there  until  I  saw  that  the  fire  had  ceased,  and  that  the 
column  was  again  moving  on,  when  I  took  up  Willie  and  started 
back  for  home  round  by  way  of  Market  Street.  A  woman  and 
child  were  killed  outright ;  two  or  three  men  were  also  killed, 
and  several  others  were  wounded.  The  great  mass  of  the  people 
on  that  occasion  were  simply  curious  spectators,  though  men 
were  sprinkled  through  the  crowd  calling  out,  "  Hurrah  for  Jeff 
Davis ! "  and  others  were  particularly  abusive  of  the  "  damned 
Dutch."  Lyon  posted  a  guard  in  charge  of  the  vacant  camp,  and 
marched  his  prisoners  down  to  the  arsenal ;  some  were  paroled, 
and  others  held,  till  afterward  they  were  regularly  exchanged. 

A  very  few  days  after  this  event,  May  14th,  I  received 
a  dispatch  from  my  brother  Charles  in  Washington,  telling  me 
to  come  on  at  once ;  that  I  had  been  appointed  a  colonel  of  the 
Thirteenth  Regular  Infantry,  and  that  I  was  wanted  at  Wash 
ington  immediately. 


1861.]  MISSOUEI.  175 

Of  course  I  could  no  longer  defer  action.  I  saw  Mr.  Lucas, 
Major  Turner,  and  other  friends  and  parties  connected  with 
the  road,  who  agreed  that  I  should  go  on.  I  left  my  family, 
because  I  was  under  the  impression  that  I  would  be  allowed 
to  enlist  my  own  regiment,  which  would  take  some  time,  and 
I  expected  to  raise  the  regiment  and  organize  it  at  Jefferson 
Barracks.  I  repaired  to  Washington,  and  there  found  that 
the  Government  was  trying  to  rise  to  a  level  with  the  occa 
sion.  Mr.  Lincoln  had,  without  the  sanction  of  law,  authorized 
the  raising  of  ten  new  regiments  of  regulars,  each  infantry 
regiment  to  be  composed  of  three  battalions  of  eight  companies 
each ;  and  had  called  for  seventy-five  thousand  State  volunteers. 
Even  this  call  seemed  to  me  utterly  inadequate ;  still  it  was  none 
of  my  business.  I  took  the  oath  of  office,  and  was  furnished 
with  a  list  of  officers,  appointed  to  my  regiment,  which  was  still 
incomplete.  I  reported  in  person  to  General  Scott,  at  his  office 
on  Seventeenth  Street,  opposite  the  "War  Department,  and  applied 
for  authority  to  return  West,  and  raise  my  regiment  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  but  the  general  said  my  lieutenant-colonel,  Burbank, 
was  fully  qualified  to  superintend  the  enlistment,  and  that  he 
wanted  me  there  ;  and  he  at  once  dictated  an  order  for  me  to 
report  to  him  in  person  for  inspection  duty. 

Satisfied  that  I  would  not  be  permitted  to  return  to  St. 
Louis,  I  instructed  Mrs.  Sherman  to  pack  up,  return  to  Lan 
caster,  and  trust  to  the  fate  of  war. 

I  also  resigned  my  place  as  president  of  the  Fifth  Street 
Railroad,  to  take  effect  at  the  end  of  May,  so  that  in  fact  I 
received  pay  from  that  road  for  only  two  months'  service,  and 
then  began  my  new  army  career. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

FROM    THE    BATTLE    OF    BULL    KUN  TO  PADUCAH — KENTUCKY    AND 

MISSOURI. 

1861-1862. 

AND  now  that,  in.  these  notes,  I  have  fairly  reached  the 
period  of  the  civil  war,  which  ravaged  our  country  from  1861 
to  1865 — an  event  involving  a  conflict  of  passion,  of  prejudice, 
and  of  arms,  that  has  developed  results  which,  for  better  or 
worse,  'have  left  their  mark  on  the  world's  history — I  feel  that 
I  tread  on  delicate  ground. 

I  have  again  and  again  been  invited  to  write  a  history  of 
the  war,  or  to  record  for  publication  my  personal  recollections 
of  it,  with  large  offers  of  money  therefor ;  •  all  of  which  I  have 
heretofore  declined,  because  the  truth  is  not  always  palatable, 
and  should  not  always  be  told.  Many  of  the  actors  in  the  grand 
drama  still  live,  and  they  and  their  friends  are  quick  to  contro 
versy,  which  should  be  avoided.  The  great  end  of  peace  has 
been  attained,  with  little  or  no  change  in  our  form  of  govern 
ment,  and  the  duty  of  all  good  men  is  to  allow  the  passions  of 
that  period  to  subside,  that  we  may  direct  our  physical  and 
mental  labor  to  repair  the  waste  of  war,  and  to  engage  in  the 
greater  task  of  continuing  our  hitherto  wonderful  national 
development. 

What  I  now  propose  to  do  is  merely  to  group  some  of  my 
personal  recollections  about  the  historic  persons  and  events  of 
the  day,  prepared  not  with  any  view  to  their  publication,  but 
rather  for  preservation  till  I  am  gone ;  and  then  to  be  allowed 


1861-'62.]  BULL  KUtf  TO  PADUCAH.  177 

to  follow  into  oblivion  the  cords  of  similar  papers,  or  to  be  used 
by  some  historian  who  may  need  them  by  way  of  illustration. 

I  have  heretofore  recorded  how  I  again  came  into  the  mili 
tary  service  of  the  United  States  as  a  colonel  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regular  Infantry,  a  regiment  that  had  no  existence  at  the  time, 
and  that,  instead  of  being  allowed  to  enlist  the  men  and  instruct 
them,  as  expected,  I  was  assigned  in  Washington  City,  by  an 
order  of  Lieutenant-General  Winfield  Scott,  to  inspection  duty 
near  him  on  the  20th  of  June,  1861. 

At  that  time  Lieutenant-General  Scott  commanded  the  army 
in  chief,  with  Colonel  E.  D.  Townsend  as  his  adjutant-general, 
Major  G.  W.  Cullum,  United  States  Engineers,  and  Major  Schuy- 
ler  Hamilton,  as  aides-de-camp.  The  general  had  an  office  up 
stairs  on  Seventeenth  Street,  opposite  the  War  Department,  and 
resided  in  a  house  close  by,  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  All  fears 
for  the  immediate  safety  of  the  capital  had  ceased,  and  quite  a 
large  force  of  regulars  and  volunteers  had  been  collected  in  and 
about  Washington.  Brigadier-General  J.  K.  Mansfield  com 
manded  in  the  city,  and  Brigadier-General  Irvin  McDowell  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Potomac,  with  his  headquarters  at  Arling 
ton  House.  His  troops  extended  in  a  semicircle  from  Alexan 
dria  to  above  Georgetown.  Several  forts  and  redoubts  were 
either  built  or  in  progress,  and  the  people  were  already  clamor 
ous  for  a  general  forward  movement.  Another  considerable 
army  had  also  been  collected  in  Pennsylvania  under  General 
Patterson,  and,  at  the  time  I  speak  of,  had  moved  forward  to 
Hagerstown  and  Williamsport,  on  the  Potomac  River.  My 
brother,  John  Sherman,  was  a  volunteer  aide-de-camp  to  General 
Patterson,  and,  toward  the  end  of  June,  I  went  up  to  Hagers 
town  to  see  him.  I  found  that  army  in  the  very  act  of  moving, 
and  we  rode  down  to  Williamsport  in  a  buggy,  and  were 
present  when  the  leading  division  crossed  the  Potomac  River  by 
fording  it  waist-deep.  My  friend  and  classmate,  George  H. 
Thomas,  was  there,  in  command  of  a  brigade  in  the  leading  di 
vision.  I  talked  with  him  a  good  deal,  also  with  General  Cad- 
walader,  and  with  the  staff-officers  of  General  Patterson,  viz., 
Fitz-John  Porter,  Belger,  Beckwith,  and  others,  all  of  whom 
12 


178  BULL  KUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-62. 

seemed  encouraged  to  think  that  the  war  was  to  be  short  and 
decisive,  and  that,  as  soon  as  it  was  demonstrated  that  the  Gen 
eral  Government  meant  in  earnest  to  defend  its  rights  and  prop 
erty,  some  general  compromise  would  result. 

Patterson's  army  crossed  the  Potomac  River  on  the  1st  or 
2d  of  July,  and,  as  John  Sherman  was  to  take  his  seat  as  a  Sen 
ator  in  the  called  session  of  Congress,  to  meet  July  4th,  he 
resigned  his  place  as  aide-de-camp,  presented  me  his  two  horses 
and  equipment,  and  we  returned  to  "Washington  together. 

The  Congress  assembled  punctually  on  the  4th  of  July,  and 
the  message  of  Mr.  Lincoln  was  strong  and  good :  it  recognized 
the  fact  that  civil  war  was  upon  us,  that  compromise  of  any 
kind  was  at  an  end ;  and  he  asked  for  four  hundred  thousand 
men,  and  four  hundred  million  dollars,  wherewith  to  vindicate 
the  national  authority,  and  to  regain  possession  of  the  captured 
forts  and  other  property  of  the  United  States. 

It  was  also  immediately  demonstrated  that  the  tone  and  tem 
per  of  Congress  had  changed  since  the  Southern  Senators  and 
members  had  withdrawn,  and  that  we,  the  military,  could  now 
go  to  work  with  some  definite  plans  and  ideas. 

The  appearance  of  the  troops  about  Washington  was  good, 
but  it  was  manifest  they  were  far  from  being  soldiers.  Their 
uniforms  were  as  various  as  the  States  and  cities  from  which 
'they  came ;  their  arms  were  also  of  every  pattern  and  calibre ; 
and  they  were  so  loaded  down  with  overcoats,  haversacks,  knap 
sacks,  tents,  and  baggage,  that  it  took  from  twenty-five  to  fifty 
wagons  to  move  the  camp  of  a  regiment  from  one  place  to  an 
other,  and  some  of  the  camps  had  bakeries  and  cooking  estab 
lishments  that  would  have  done  credit  to  Delmonico. 

While  I  was  on  duty  with  General  Scott,  viz.,  from  June 
20th  to  about  June  30th,  the  general  frequently  communicated 
to  those  about  him  his  opinions  and  proposed  plans.  He  seemed 
vexed  with  the  clamors  of  the  press  for  immediate  action,  and 
the  continued  interference  in  details  by  the  President,  Secretary 
of  War,  and  Congress.  He  spoke  of  organizing  a  grand  army 
of  invasion,  of  which  the  regulars  were  to  constitute  the  "  iron 
column,"  and  seemed  to  intimate  that  he  himself  would  take  the 


1861-'62.]  BULL  KU$   TO  PADUCAH.  179 

field  in  person,  though  he  was  at  the  time  very  old,  very  heavy, 
and  very  unwieldy.  His  age  must  have  been  about  seventy- 
five  years. 

At  that  date,  July  4,  1861,  the  rebels  had  two  armies  in 
front  of  Washington ;  the  one  at  Manassas  Junction,  commanded 
by  General  Beauregard,  with  his  advance  guard  at  Fairfax  Court- 
House,  and  indeed  almost  in  sight  of  Washington.  The  other, 
commanded  by  General  Joe  Johnston,  was  at  Winchester,  with 
its  advance  at  Martinsburg  and  Harper's  Ferry ;  but  the  advance 
had  fallen  back  before  Patterson,  who  then  occupied  Martins- 
burg  and  the  line  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 

The  temper  of  Congress  and  the  people  would  not  permit 
the  slow  and  methodical  preparation  desired  by  General  Scott ; 
and  the  cry  of  "  On  to  Richmond !  "  which  was  shared  by  the 
volunteers,  most  of  whom  had  only  engaged  for  ninety  days, 
forced  General  Scott  to  hasten  his  preparations,  and  to  order  a 
general  advance  about  the  middle  of  July.  McDowell  was  to 
move  from  the  defenses  of  Washington,  and  Patterson  from 
Martinsburg.  In  the  organization  of  McDowell's  army  into 
divisions  and  brigades,  Colonel  David  Hunter  was  assigned  to 
command  the  Second  Division,  and  I  was  ordered  to  take  com 
mand  of  his  former  brigade,  which  was  composed  of  five  regi 
ments  in  position  in  and  about  Fort  Corcoran,  and  on  the  ground 
opposite  Georgetown.  I  assumed  command  on  the  30th  of 
June,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  prepare  it  for  the  general  ad 
vance.  My  command  constituted  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  First 
Division,  which  division  was  commanded  by  Brigadier-General 
Daniel  Tyler,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  but  who  had  seen 
little  or  no  actual  service.  I  applied  to  General  McDowell  for 
some  staff-officers,  and  he  gave  me,  as  adjutant-general,  Lieu 
tenant  Piper,  of  the  Third  Artillery,  and,  as  aide-de-camp, 
Lieutenant  McQuesten,  a  fine  young  cavalry-officer,  fresh  from 
West  Point. 

I  selected  for  the  field  the  Thirteenth  New  York,  Colonel 
Quimby ;  the  Sixty-ninth  New  York,  Colonel  Corcoran ;  the 
Seventy-ninth  New  York,  Colonel  Cameron ;  and  the  Second 
Wisconsin,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel  Peck.  These  were  all  good, 


180  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

strong,  volunteer  regiments,  pretty  well  commanded  ;  and  I 
had  reason  to  believe  that  I  had  one  of  the  best  brigades  in 
the  whole  army.  Captain  Ayres's  battery  of  the  Fifth  Regular 
Artillery  was  also  attached  to  my  brigade.  The  other  regiment, 
the  Twenty-ninth  New  York,  Colonel  Bennett,  was  destined 
to  be  left  behind  in  charge  of  the  forts  and  camps  during  our 
absence,  which  was  expected  to  be  short.  Soon  after  I  had  as 
sumed  the  command,  a  difficulty  arose  in  the  Sixty-ninth,  an 
Irish  regiment.  This  regiment  had  volunteered  in  New  York, 
early  in  April,  for  ninety  days ;  but,  by  reason  of  the  difficulty 
of  passing  through  Baltimore,  they  had  come  ma  Annapolis, 
had  been  held  for  duty  on  the  railroad  as  a  guard  for  nearly 
a  month  before  they  actually  reached  Washington,  and  were 
then  mustered  in  about  a  month  after  enrollment.  Some  of  the 
men  claimed  that  they  were  entitled  to  Iheir  discharge  in  ninety 
days  from  the  time  of  enrollment,  whereas  the  muster-roll  read 
ninety  days  from  the  date  of  muster-in.  One  day,  Colonel  Cor 
coran  explained  this  matter  to  me.  I  advised  him  to  reduce 
the  facts  to  writing,  and  that  I  would  submit  it  to  the  Wai- 
Department  for  an  authoritative  decision.  He  did  so,  and  the 
War  Department  decided  that  the  muster-roll  was  the  only 
contract  of  service,  that  it  would  be  construed  literally ;  and 
that  the  regiment  would  be  held  till  tHb  expiration  of  three 
months  from  the  date  of  muster-in,  viz.,  to  about  August  1, 
1861.  General  Scott  at  the  same  time  wrote  one  of  his  char 
acteristic  letters  to  Corcoran,  telling  him  that  we  were  about  to 
engage  in  battle,  and  he  knew  his  Irish  friends  would  not  leave 
him  in  such  a  crisis.  Corcoran  and  the  officers  generally  wanted 
to  go  to  the  expected  battle,  but  a  good  many  of  the  men  were 
not  so  anxious.  In  the  Second  Wisconsin,  also,  was  developed 
a  personal  difficulty.  The  actual  colonel  was  Dr.  Coon,  a  good- 
hearted  gentleman,  who  knew  no  more  of  the  military  art  than 
a  child ;  whereas  his  lieutenant-colonel,  Peck,  had  been  to  West 
Point,  and  knew  the  drill.  Preferring  that  the  latter  should 
remain  in  command  of  the  regiment,  I  put  Colonel  Coon  on  my 
personal  staff,  which  reconciled  the  difficulty. 

In  due  season,  about  July  15th,  our  division  moved  forward, 


1861-'62.]  BULL  EUN  TO  PADUCAH.  181 

leaving  our  camps  standing ;  Keyes's  brigade  in  the  lead,  then 
Schenck's,  then  mine,  and  Kichardson's  last.  "We  marched  via 
Yienna,  Germantown,  and  Centreville,  where  all  the  army,  com 
posed  of  five  divisions,  seemed  to  converge.  The  march  demon 
strated  little  save  the  general  laxity  of  discipline ;  for  with  all 
iny  personal  efforts  I  could  not  prevent  the  men  from  strag 
gling  for  water,  blackberries,  or  any  thing  on  the  way  they 
fancied. 

At  Centreville,  on  the  18th,  Richardson's  brigade  was  sent 
by  General  Tyler  to  reconnoitre  Blackburn's  Ford  across  Bull 
Run,  and  he  found  it  strongly  guarded.  From  our  camp,  at 
Centreville,  we  heard  the  cannonading,  and  then  a  sharp  mus 
ketry-fire.  I  received  orders  from  General  Tyler  to  send  for 
ward  Ayres's  battery,  and  very  soon  after  another  order  came 
for  me  to  advance  with  my  whole  brigade.  We  marched 
the  three  miles  at  the  double-quick,  arrived  in  time  to  re 
lieve  Kichardson's  brigade,  which  was  just  drawing  back  from 
the  ford,  worsted,  and  stood  for  half  an  hour  or  so  under  a  fire 
of  artillery,  which  killed  four  or  five  of  my  men.  General 
Tyler  was  there  in  person,  giving  directions,  and  soon  after  he 
ordered  us  all  back  to  our  camp  in  Centreville.  This  reconnois- 
sance  had  developed  a  strong  force,  and  had  been  made  without 
the  orders  of  General  McDowell ;  however,  it  satisfied  us  that 
the  enemy  was  in  force  on  the  other  side  of  Bull  Run,  and  had  no 
intention  to  leave  without  a  serious  battle.  We  lay  in  camp  at 
Centreville  all  of  the  19th  and  20th,  and  during  that  night 
began  the  movement  which  resulted  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
on  July  21st.  Of  this  so  muchi  has  been  written  that  more 
would  be  superfluous ;  and  the  reports  of  the  opposing  com 
manders,  McDowell  and  Johnston,  are  fair  and  correct.  It  is 
now  generally  admitted  that  it  was  one  of  the  best-planned  bat 
tles  of  the  war,  but  one  of  the  worst-fought.  Our  men  had  been 
told  so  often  at  home  that  all  they  had  to  do  was  to  make  a  bold 
appearance,  and  the  rebels  would  run ;  and  nearly  all  of  us  for 
the  first  time  then  heard  the  sound  of  cannon  and  muskets  in 
anger,  and  saw  the  bloody  scenes  common  to  all  battles,  with 
which  we  were  soon  to  be  familiar.  We  had  good  organ  iza- 


182  BULL  KUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

tion,  good  men,  but  no  cohesion,  no  real  discipline,  no  respect 
for  authority,  no  real  knowledge  of  war.  Both  armies  were  fairly- 
defeated,  and,  whichever  had  stood  fast,  the  other  would  have 
run.  Though  the  North  was  overwhelmed  with  mortification 
and  shame,  the  South  really  had  not  much  to  boast  of,  for  in 
the  three  or  four  hours  of  fighting  their  organization  was  so 
broken  up  that  they  did  not  and  could  not  follow  our  army, 
when  it  was  known  to  be  in  a  state  of  disgraceful  and  causeless 
flight.  It  is  easy  to  criticise  a  battle  after  it  is  over,  but  all 
now  admit  that  none  others,  equally  raw  in  war,  could  have 
done  better  than  we  did  at  Bull  Run ;  and  the  lesson  of  that 
battle  should  not  be  lost  on  a  people  like  ours. 

I  insert  my  official  report,  as  a  condensed  statement  of  my 
share  in  the  battle  : 

HEADQUABTEES  THIBD  BRIGADE,  FIRST  DIVISION,  ) 
FORT  CORCORAN,  July  25, 1861.      ) 

To  Captain  A.  BAIED,  Assistant  Adjutant- General,  First  Division  (General 

Tyler's). 

SIB  :  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  this  my  report  of  the  operations  of 
my  brigade  during  the  action  of  the  21st  instant.  The  brigade  is  composed 
of  the  Thirteenth  New  York  Volunteers,  Colonel  Quimby ;  Sixty-ninth  New- 
York,  Colonel  Corcoran ;  Seventy-ninth  New  York,  Colonel  Cameron ;  Sec 
ond  Wisconsin,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Peck;  and  Company  E,  Third  Artillery, 
under  command  of  Captain  K.  B.  Ayres,  Fifth  Artillery.  We  left  our  camp 
near  Centreville,  pursuant  to  orders,  at  half-past  2  A.  M.,  taking  place  in 
your  column,  next  to  the  brigade  of  General  Schenck,  and  proceeded  as  far 
as  the  halt,  before  the  enemy's  position,  near  the  stone  bridge  across  Bull 
Bun.  Here  the  brigade  was  deployed  in  line  along  the  skirt  of  timber  to 
the  right  of  the  Warrenton  road,  and  remained  quietly  in  position  till  after 
10  A.  M.  The  enemy  remained  very  quiet,  but  about  that  time  we  saw  a 
rebel  regiment  leave  its  cover  in  our  front,  and  proceed  in  double-quick  time 
on  the  road  toward  Sudley  Springs,  by  which  we  knew  the  columns  of  Colo 
nels  Hunter  and  Heintzelman  were  approaching.  About  the  same  time  we 
observed  in  motion  a  large  mass  of  the  enemy,  below  and  on  the  other  side 
of  the  stone  bridge.  I  directed  Captain  Ayres  to  take  position  with  his  bat 
tery  near  our  right,  and  to  open  fire  on  this  mass;  but  you  had  previously  de 
tached  the  two  rifle-guns  belonging  to  this  battery,  and,  finding  that  the 
smooth-bore  guns  did  not  reach  the  enemy's  position,  we  ceased  firing,  and 
I  sent  a  request  that  you  would  send  to  me  the  thirty-pounder  rifle-gun 
attached  to  Captain  Carlisle's  battery.  At  the  same  time  I  shifted  the  New 
York  Sixty-ninth  to  the  extreme  right  of  the  brigade.  Thus  we  remained  till 


1861-'62,]  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  183 

we  heard  the  musketry-fire  across  Bull  Run,  showing  that  the  head  of  Colo 
nel  Hunter's  column  was  engaged.  This  firing  was  brisk,  and  showed  that 
Hunter  was  driving  before  him  the  enemy,  till  about  noon,  when  it  became 
certain  the  enemy  had  come  to  a  stand,  and  that  our  forces  on  the  other  side 
of  Bull  Kun  were  all  engaged,  artillery  and  infantry. 

Here  you  sent  me  the  order  to  cross  over  with  the  whole  brigade,  to  the 
assistance  of  Colonel  Hunter.  Early  in  the  day,  when  reconnoitring  the 
ground,  I  had  seen  a  horseman  descend  from  a  bluff  in  our  front,  cross  the 
stream,  and  show  himself  in  the  open  field  on  this  side;  and,  inferring  that 
we  could  cross  over  at  the  same  point,  I  sent  forward  a  company  as  skir 
mishers,  and  followed  with  the  whole  brigade,  the  New  York  Sixty-ninth 
leading. 

"We  found  no  difficulty  in  crossing  over,  and  met  with  no  opposition 
in  ascending  the  steep  bluff  opposite  with  our  infantry,  but  it  was  impas 
sable  to  the  artillery,  and  I  sent  word  back  to  Captain  Ayres  to  follow  if 
possible,  otherwise  to  use  his  discretion.  Captain  Ayres  did  not  cross  Bull 
Run,  but  remained  on  that  side,  with  the  rest  of  your  division.  His  report 
herewith  describes  his  operations  during  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Ad 
vancing  slowly  and  cautiously  with  the  head  of  the  column,  to  give  time  for 
the  regiments  in  succession  to  close  up  their  ranks,  we  first  encountered  a 
party  of  the  enemy  retreating  along  a  cluster  of  pines ;  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Haggerty,  of  the  Sixty-ninth,  without  orders,  rode  out  alone,  and  endeavored 
to  intercept  their  retreat.  One  of  the  enemy,  in  full  view,  at  short  range, 
shot  Haggerty,  and  he  fell  dead  from  his  horse.  The  Sixty-ninth  opened  fire 
on  this  party,  which  was  returned ;  but,  determined  to  effect  our  junction 
with  Hunter's  division,  I  ordered  this  fire  to  cease,  and  we  proceeded  with 
caution  toward  the  field  where  we  then  plainly  saw  our  forces  engaged. 
Displaying  our  colors  conspicuously  at  the  head  of  our  column,  we  succeeded 
in  attracting  the  attention  of  our  friends,  and  soon  formed  the  brigade  in  rear 
of  Colonel  Porter's.  Here  I  learned  that  Colonel  Hunter  was  disabled  by  a 
severe  wound,  and  that  General  McDowell  was  on  the  field.  I  sought  him 
out,  and  received  his  orders  to  join  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  who  was  falling 
back  to  the  left  of  the  road  by  which  the  army  had  approached  from  Sudley 
Springs.  Placing  Colonel  Quimby's  regiment  of  rifles  in  front,  in  column, 
by  division,  I  directed  the  other  regiments  to  follow  in  line  of  battle,  in  the 
order  of  the  "Wisconsin  Second,  New  York  Seventy -ninth,  and  New  York 
Sixty -ninth.  Quimby's  regiment  advanced  steadily  down  the  hill  and  up 
the  ridge,  from  which  he  opened  fire  upon  the  enemy,  who  had  made 
another  stand  on  ground  very  favorable  to  him,  and  the  regiment  continued 
advancing  as  the  enemy  gave  way,  till  the  head  of  the  column  reached  the 
point  near  which  Rickett's  battery  was  so  severely  cut  up.  The  other  regi 
ments  descended  the  hill  in  line  of  battle,  under  a  severe  cannonade ;  and, 
the  ground  affording  comparative  shelter  from  the  enemy's  artillery,  they 


184:  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'G2. 

changed  direction,  by  the  right  flank,  and  followed  the  road  before  men 
tioned.  At  the  point  where  this  road  crosses  the  ridge  to  our  left  front,  the 
ground  was  swept  by  a  most  severe  fire  of  artillery,  rifles,  and  musketry,  and 
we  saw,  in  succession,  several  regiments  driven  from  it ;  among  them  the 
Zouaves  and  battalion  of  marines.  Before  reaching  the  crest  of  this  hill, 
the  roadway  was  worn  deep  enough  to  afford  shelter,  and  I  kept  the  several 
regiments  in  it  as  long  as  possible ;  but  when  the  Wisconsin  Second  was 
abreast  of  the  enemy,  by  order  of  Major  "Wadsworth,  of  General  McDowell's 
staff,  I  ordered  it  to  leave  the  roadway,  by  the  left  flank,  and  to  attack  the 
enemy. 

This  regiment  ascended  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  steadily,  received  the 
severe  fire  of  the  enemy,  returned  it  with  spirit,  and  advanced,  deliver 
ing  its  fire.  This  regiment  is  uniformed  in  gray  cloth,  almost  identical  with 
that  of  the  great  bulk  of  the  secession  army ;  and,  when  the  regiment  fell 
into  confusion  and  retreated  toward  the  road,  there  was  a  universal  cry 
that  they  were  being  fired  on  by  our  own  men.  The  regiment  rallied  again, 
passed  the  brow  of  the  hill  a  second  time,  but  was  again  repulsed  in  dis 
order.  By  this  time  the  New  York  Seventy-ninth  had  closed  up,  and  in  like 
manner  it  was  ordered  to  cross  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  drive  the  enemy 
from  cover.  It  was  impossible  to  get  a  good  view  of  this  ground.  In  it 
there  was  one  battery  of  artillery,  which  poured  an  incessant  fire  upon  our 
advancing  column,  and  the  ground  was  very  irregular  with  small  clusters  of 
pines,  affording  shelter,  of  which  the  enemy  took  good  advantage.  The  fire 
of  rifles  and  musketry  was  very  severe.  The  Seventy-ninth,  headed  by  its 
colonel,  Cameron,  charged  across  the  hill,  and  for  4  short  time  the  contest 
was  severe;  they  rallied  several  times  under  fire,  but  finally  broke,  and 
gained  the  cover  of  the  hill. 

This  left  the  field  open  to  the  New  York  Sixty-ninth,  Colonel  Corcoran, 
who,  in  his  turn,  led  his  regiment  over  the  crest,  and  had  in  full,  open  view 
the  ground  so  severely  contested ;  the  fire  was  very  severe,  and  the  roar  of 
cannon,  musketry,  and  rifles,  incessant ;  it  was  manifest  the  enemy  was  here 
in  great  force,  far  superior  to  us  at  that  point.  The  Sixty-ninth  held  the 
ground  for  some  time,  but  finally  fell  back  in  disorder. 

All  this  time  Quimby's  regiment  occupied  another  ridge,  to  our  left, 
overlooking  the  same  field  of  action,  and  similarly  engaged.  Here,  about 
half-past  3  p.  M.,  began  the  scene  of  confusion  and  disorder  that  char 
acterized  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Up  to  that  time,  all  had  kept  their 
places,  and  seemed  perfectly  cool,  and  used  to  the  shell  and  shot  that  fell, 
comparatively  harmless,  all  around  us ;  but  the  short  exposure  to  an  intense 
fire  of  small-arms,  at  close  range,  had  killed  many,  wounded  more,  and  had 
produced  disorder  in  all  of  the  battalions  that  had  attempted  to  encounter 
it.  Men  fell  away  from  their  ranks,  talking,  and  in  great  confusion.  Colo 
nel  Cameron  had  been  mortally  wounded,  was  carried  to  an  ambulance, 


1861-'62.]  BULL  KUX  TO  PADUCAH.  185 

and  reported  dying.  Many  other  officers  were  reported  dead  or  missing, 
and  many  of  the  wounded  were  making  their  way,  with  more  or  less  as 
sistance,  to  the  buildings  used  as  hospitals,  on  the  ridge  to  the  west.  We 
succeeded  in  partially  reforming  the  regiments,  but  it  was  manifest  that  they 
would  not  stand,  and  I  directed  Colonel  Corcoran  to  move  along  the  ridge 
to  the  rear,  near  the  position  where  we  had  first  formed  the  brigade.  Gen 
eral  McDowell  was  there  in  person,  and  used  all  possible  efforts  to  reassure 
the  men.  By  the  active  exertions  of  Colonel  Corcoran,  we  formed  an  irreg 
ular  square  against  the  cavalry  which  were  then  seen  to  issue  from  the  po 
sition  from  which  we  had  been  driven,  and  we  began  our  retreat  toward  the 
same  ford  of  Bull  Eun  by  which  we  had  approached  the  field  of  battle. 
There  was  no  positive  order  to  retreat,  although  for  an  hour  it  had  been 
going  on  by  the  operation  of  the  men  themselves.  The  ranks  were  thin  and 
irregular,  and  we  found  a  stream  of  people  strung  from  the  hospital  across 
Bull  Eun,  and  far  toward  Centreville.  After  putting  in  motion  the  irregular 
square  in  person,  I  pushed  forward  to  find  Captain  Ayres's  battery  at  the 
crossing  of  Bull  Eun.  I  sought  it  at  its  last  position,  before  the  brigade  had 
crossed  over,  but  it  was  not  there ;  then  passing  through  the  woods,  where, 
in  the  morning,  we  had  first  formed  line,  we  approached  the  blacksmith's 
shop,  but  there  found  a  detachment  of  the  secession  cavalry  and  thence 
made  a  circuit,  avoiding  Cub  Eun  Bridge,  into  Centreville,  where  I  found 
General  McDowell,  and  from  him  understood  that  it  was  his  purpose  to  rally 
the  forces,  and  make  a  stand  at  Centreville. 

But,  about  nine  o'clock  at  night,  I  received  from  General  Tyler,  in  per 
son,  the  order  to  continue  the  retreat  to  the  Potomac.  This  retreat  was  by 
night,  and  disorderly  in  the  extreme.  The  men  of  different  regiments  min 
gled  together,  and  some  reached  the  river  at  Arlington,  some  at  Long 
Bridge,  and  the  greater  part  returned  to  their  former  camp,  at  or  near  Fort 
Corcoran.  I  reached  this  point  at  noon  the  next  day,  and  found-  a  miscel 
laneous  crowd  crossing  over  the  aqueduct  and  ferries.  Conceiving  this  to 
be  demoralizing,  I  at  once  commanded  the  guard  to  be  increased,  and  all 
persons  attempting  to  pass  over  to  be  stopped.  This  soon  produced  its  effect ; 
men  sought  their  proper  companies  and  regiments.  Comparative  order  was 
restored,  and  all  were  posted  to  the  best  advantage. 

I  herewith  inclose  the  official  report  of  Captain  Kelly,  commanding 
officer  of  the  New  York  Sixty-ninth ;  also,  full  lists  of  the  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing. 

Our  loss  was  heavy,  and  occurred  chiefly  at  the  point  near  where  Eick- 
ett's  battery  was  destroyed.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Haggerty  was  killed  about 
noon,  before  we  had  effected  a  junction  with  Colonel  Hunter's  division. 
Colonel  Cameron  was  mortally  wounded  leading  his  regiment  in  the  charge, 
and  Colonel  Corcoran  has  been  missing  since  the  cavalry-charge  near  the 
building  used  as  a  hospital. 


186 


BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH. 


[1881-'62. 


REGIMENTS,  ETC. 

Killed. 

Wounded. 

Mixing. 

Total. 

6 

8 

9 

New  York  Thirteenth        

11 

27 

20 

53 

New  York  Sixty-ninth  

83 

69 

95 

192 

New  York  Seventy-ninth  

82 

51 

115 

193 

Wisconsin  Second      

24 

65 

63 

152 

111 

205 

OQO 

•0 

609 

For  names,  rank,  etc.,  of  the  above,  I  refer  to  the  lists  herewith. 

Lieutenants  Piper  and  McQuesten,  of  my  personal  staff,  were  under  fire 
all  day,  and  carried  orders  to  and  fro  with  as  much  coolness  as  on  parade. 
Lieutenant  Bagley,  of  the  New  York  Sixty-ninth,  a  volunteer  aide,  asked 
leave  to  serve  with  his  company,  during  the  action,  and  is  among  those 
reported  missing.  I  have  intelligence  that  he  is  a  prisoner,  and  slightly 
wounded. 

Colonel  Coon,  of  "Wisconsin,  a  volunteer  aide,  also  rendered  good  service 
during  the  day. 

W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Colonel  commanding  Brigade. 

This  report,  which  I  had  not  read  probably  since  its  date  till 
now,  recalls  to  me  vividly  the  whole  scene  of  the  affair  at  Black 
burn's  Ford,  when  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  saw  cannon- 
balls  strike  men  and  crash  through  the  trees  and  saplings  above 
and  around  us,  and  realized  the  always  sickening  confusion  as 
one  approaches  a  fight  from  the  rear ;  then  the  night-march  from 
Centreville,  on  the  "Warrenton  road,  standing  for  hours  won 
dering  what  was  meant;  the  deployment  along  the  edge  of 
the  field  that  sloped  down  to  Bull  Run,  and  waiting  for  Hun 
ter's  approach  on  the  other  side  from  the  direction  of  Sudley 
Springs,  away  off  to  our  right ;  the  terrible  scare  of  a  poor  negro 
who  was  caught  between  our  lines ;  the  crossing  of  Bull  Run, 
and  the  fear  lest  we  should  be  fired  on  by  our  own  men ;  the 
killing  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Haggerty,  which  occurred  in  plain 
sight ;  and  the  first  scenes  of  a  field  strewed  with  dead  men 
and  horses.  Yet,  at  that  period  of  the  battle,  we  were  the  vic 
tors  and  felt  jubilant.  At  that  moment,  also,  my  brigade  passed 
Hunter's  division ;  but  Heintzelman's  was  still  ahead  of  us,  and 
we  followed  its  lead  alon^  the  road  toward  Manassas  Junction, 

o  * 

crossing  a  small  stream  and  ascending  a  long  hill,  at  the  summit 
of  which  the  battle  was  going  on.  Here  my  regiments  came  into 


1861-'62.]  BULL  KFtf  TO  PADUCAH.  187 

action  well,  but  successively,  and  were  driven  back,  each  in  its 
turn.  For  two  hours  we  continued  to  dash  at  the  woods  on 
our  left  front,  which  were  full  of  rebels ;  but  I  was  convinced 
their  organization  was  broken,  and  that  they  had  simply  halted 
there  and  taken  advantage  of  these  woods  as  a  cover,  to  reach 
which  we  had  to  pass  over  the  intervening  fields  about  the  Henry 
House,  which  were  clear,  open,  and  gave  them  a  decided  advan 
tage.  After  I  had  put  in  each  of  my  regiments,  and  had  them 
driven  back  to  the  cover  of  the  road,  I  had  no  idea  that  we  were 
beaten,  but  reformed  the  regiments  in  line  in  their  proper  order, 
and  only  wanted  a  little  rest,  when  I  found  that  my  brigade  was 
almost  alone,  except  Syke's  regulars,  who  had  formed  square 
against  cavalry  and  were  coming  back.  I  then  realized  that  the 
whole  army  was  "  in  retreat,"  and  that  my  own  men  were  indi 
vidually  making  back  for  the  stone  bridge.  Corcoran  and  I 
formed  the  brigade  into  an  irregular  square,  but  it  fell  to  pieces ; 
and,  along  with  a  crowd,  disorganized  but  not  much  scared, 
the  brigade  got  back  to  Centreville  to  our  former  camps.  Cor 
coran  was  captured,  and  held  a  prisoner  for  some  time ;  but  I 
got  safe  to  Centreville.  I  saw  General  McDowell  in  Centreville, 
and  understood  that  several  of  his  divisions  had  not  been  en 
gaged  at  all,  that  he  would  reorganize  them  at  Centreville,  and 
there  await  the  enemy.  I  got  my  four  regiments  in  parallel 
lines  in  a  field,  the  same  in  which  we  had  camped  before  the 
battle,  and  had  lain  down  to  sleep  under  a  tree,  when  I  heard 
some  one  asking  for  me.  I  called  out  where  I  was,  when  Gen 
eral  Tyler  in  person  gave  me  orders  to  march  back  to  our  camps 
at  Fort  Corcoran.  I  aroused  my  aides,  gave  them  orders  to 
call  up  the  sleeping  men,  have  each  regiment  to  leave  the  field 
by  a  flank  and  to  take  the  same  road  back  by  which  we  had 
come.  It  was  near  midnight,  and  the  road  was  full  of  troops, 
wagons,  and  batteries.  We  tried  to  keep  our  regiments  separate, 
but  all  became  inextricably  mixed.  Toward  morning  we  reached 
Yienna,  where  I  slept  some  hours,  and  the  next  day,  about  noon, 
we  reached  Fort  Corcoran. 

A  slow,  mizzling  rain  had  set  in,  and  probably  a  more  gloomy 
day  never  presented  itself.     All  organization  seemed  to  be  at  an 


188  BULL  RUK  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

end ;  but  I  and  my  staff  labored  hard  to  collect  our  men  into 
their  proper  companies  and  into  their  former  camps,  and,  on  the 
23d  of  July,  I  moved  the  Second  "Wisconsin  and  Seventy-ninth 
New  York  closer  in  to  Fort  Corcoran,  and  got  things  in  better 
order  than  I  had  expected.  Of  course,  we  took  it  for  granted 
that  the  rebels  would  be  on  our  heels,  and  we  accordingly  pre 
pared  to  defend  our  posts.  By  the  25th  I  had  collected  all  the 
materials,  made  my  report,  and  had  my  brigade  about  as  well 
governed  as  any  in  that  army ;  although  most  of  the  ninety-day 
men,  especially  the  Sixty-ninth,  had  become  extremely  tired  of 
the  war,  and  wanted  to  go  home.  Some  of  them  were  so  mu 
tinous,  at  one  time,  that  I  had  Ayres's  battery  to  unlimber, 
threatening,  if  they  dared  to  leave  camp  without  orders,  I  would 
open  fire  on  them.  Drills  and  the  daily  exercises  were  resumed, 
and  I  ordered  that  at  the  three  principal  roll-calls  the  men 
should  form  ranks  with  belts  and  muskets,  and  that  they  should 
keep  their  ranks  until  I  in  person  had  received  the  reports  and 
had  dismissed  them.  The  Sixty-ninth  still  occupied  Fort  Cor 
coran,  and  one  morning,  after  reveille,  when  I  had  just  received 
the  report,  had  dismissed  the  regiment,  and  was  leaving,  I  found 
myself  in  a  crowd  of  men  crossing  the  drawbridge  on  their  way 
to  a  barn  close  by,  where  they  had  their  sinks ;  among  them 
was  an  officer,  who  said :  "  Colonel,  I  am  going  to  New  York  to 
day.  What  can  I  do  for  you  ? "  I  answered :  "  How  can  you 
go  to  New  York  ?  I  do  not  remember  to  have  signed  a  leave 
for  you."  He  said,  "  No ;  he  did  not  want  a  leave.  He  had 
engaged  to  serve  three  months,  and  had  already  served  more 
than  that  time.  If  the  Government  did  not  intend  to  pay  him, 
he  could  afford  to  lose  the  money ;  that  he  was  a  lawyer,  and  had 
neglected  his  business  long  enough,  and  was  then  going  home." 
I  noticed  that  a  good  many  of  the  soldiers  had  paused  about  us 
to  listen,  and  knew  that,  if  this  officer  could  defy  me,  they 
also  would.  So  I  turned  on  him  sharp,  and  said :  "  Captain,  this 
question  of  your  term  of  service  has  been  submitted  to  the  right 
ful  authority,  and  the  decision  has  been  published  in  orders. 
You  are  a  soldier,  and  must  submit  to  orders  till  you  are  prop 
erly  discharged.  If  you  attempt  to  leave  without  orders,  it  will 


1861-'62.]  BULL  EUIT  TO  PADUCAH.  189 

be  mutiny,  and  I  will  snoot  you  like  a  dog !  Go  back  into  the 
foil  now,  instantly,  and  don't  dare  to  leave  without  my  consent." 
I  had  on  an  overcoat,  and  may  have  had  my  hand  about  the 
breast,  for  he  looked  at  me  hard,  paused  a  moment,  and  then 
turned  back  into  the  fort.  The  men  scattered,  and  I  returned 
to  the  house  where  I  was  quartered,  close  by. 

That  same  day,  which  must  have  been  about  July  26th,  I  was 
near  the  river-bank,  looking  at  a  block-house  which  had  been 
built  for  the  defense  of  the  aqueduct,  when  I  saw  a  carriage 
coming  by  the  road  that  crossed  the  Potomac  River  at  George 
town  by  a  ferry.  I  thought  I  recognized  in  the  carriage  the 
person  of  President  Lincoln.  I  hurried  across  a  bend,  so  as  to 
stand  by  the  road-side  as  the  carriage  passed.  I  was  in  uniform, 
with  a  sword  on,  and  was  recognized  by  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr. 
Seward,  who  rode  side  by  side  in  an  open  hack.  I  inquired  if 
they  were  going  to  my  camps,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  said :  "  Yes ; 
we  heard  that  you  had  got  over  the  big  scare,  and  we  thought 
we  would  come  over  and  see  the  '  boys.'  "  The  roads  had  been 
much  changed  and  were  rough.  I  asked  if  I  might  give  direc 
tions  to  his  coachman,  he  promptly  invited  me  to  jump  in 
and  to  tell  the  coachman  which  way  to  drive.  Intending  to 
begin  on  the  right  and  follow  round  to  the  left,  I  turned  the 
driver  into  a  side-road  which  led  up  a  very  steep  hill,  and,  seeing 
a  soldier,  called  to  him  and  sent  him  up  hurriedly  to  announce  to 
the  colonel  (Bennett,  I  think)  that  the  President  was  coming. 
As  we  slowly  ascended  the  hill,  I  discovered  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  full  of  feeling,  and  wanted  to  encourage  our  men.  I  asked 
if  he  intended  to  speak  to  them,  and  he  said  he  would  like  to. 
I  asked  him  then  to  please  discourage  all  cheering,  noise,  or  any 
sort  of  confusion ;  that  we  had  had  enough  of  it  before  Bull 
Run  to  ruin  any  set  of  men,  and  that  what  we  needed  were  cool, 
thoughtful,  hard-fighting  soldiers — no  more  hurrahing,  no  more 
humbug.  He  took  my  remarks  in  the  most  perfect  good-nature. 
Before  we  had  reached  the  first  camp,  I  heard  the  drum  beating 
the  "  assembly,"  saw  the  men  running  for  their  tents,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  regiment  was  in  line,  arms  presented,  and  then 
brought  to  an  order  and  "  parade  rest ! " 


190  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

Mr.  Lincoln  stood  up  in  the  carriage,  and  made  one  of  the 
neatest,  best,  and  most  feeling  addresses  I  ever  listened  to,  re 
ferring  to  our  late  disaster  at  Bull  Kun,  the  high  duties  that 
still  devolved  on  us,  and  the  brighter  days  yet  to  come.  At  one 
or  two  points  the  soldiers  began  to  cheer,  but  he  promptly 
checked  them,  saying :  "  Don't  cheer,  boys.  I  confess  I  rather 
like  it  myself,  but  Colonel  Sherman  here  says  it  is  not  military ; 
and  I  guess  we  had  better  defer  to  his  opinion."  In  winding 
up,  he  explained  that,  as  President,  he  was  commander-in-chief ; 
that  he  was  resolved  that  the  soldiers  should  have  every  thing 
that  the  law  allowed ;  and  he  called  on  one  and  all  to  appeal  to 
him  personally  in  case  they  were  wronged.  The  effect  of  this 
speech  was  excellent. 

We  passed  along  in  the  same  manner  to  all  the  camps  of 
my  brigade  ;  and  Mr.  Lincoln  complimented  me  highly  for  the 
order,  cleanliness,  and  discipline,  that  he  observed.  Indeed,  he 
and  Mr.  Seward  both  assured  me  that  it  was  the  first  bright 
moment  they  had  experienced  since  the  battle. 

At  last  we  reached  Fort  Corcoran.  The  carriage  could  not 
enter,  so  I  ordered  the  regiment,  without  arms,  to  come  outside, 
and  gather  about  Mr.  Lincoln,  who  would  speak  to  them.  He 
made  to  them  the  same  feeling  address,  with  more  personal  al 
lusions,  because  of  their  special  gallantry  in  the  battle  under 
Corcoran,  who  was  still  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy ; 
and  he  concluded  with  the  same  general  offer  of  redress  in  case 
of  grievance.  In  the  crowd  I  saw  the  officer  with  whom  I  had 
had  the  passage  at  reveille  that  morning.  His  face  was  pale, 
and  lips  compressed.  I  foresaw  a  scene,  but  sat  on  the  front 
seat  of  the  carriage  as  quiet  as  a  lamb.  This  officer  forced  his 
way  through  the  crowd  to  the  carriage,  and  said :  "  Mr.  Presi 
dent,  I  have  a  cause  of  grievance.  This  morning  I  went  to 
speak  to  Colonel  Sherman,  and  he  threatened  to  shoot  me." 
Mr.  Lincoln,  who  was  still  standing,  said,  "  Threatened  to  shoot 
you  ? "  "  Yes,  sir,  he  threatened  to  shoot  me."  Mr.  Lincoln 
looked  at  him,  then  at  me,  and  stooping  his  tall,  spare  form 
toward  the  officer,  said  to  him  in  a  loud  stage-whisper,  easily 
heard  for  some  yards  around :  "  "Well,  if  I  were  you,  and  he 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  191 

threatened  to  shoot,  I  would  not  trust  him,  for  I  believe  he 
would  do  it."  The  officer  turned  about  and  disappeared,  and 
the  men  laughed  at  him.  Soon  the  carriage  drove  on,  and,  as 
we  descended  the  hill,  I  explained  the  facts  to  the  President, 
who  answered,  l(  Of  course  I  didn't  know  any  thing  about  it, 
but  I  thought  you  knew  your  own  business  best."  I  thanked 
him  for  his  confidence,  and  assured  him  that  what  he  had  done 
would  go  far  to  enable  me  to  maintain  good  discipline,  and  it  did. 

By  this  time  the  day  was  well  spent.  I  asked  to  take  my 
leave,  and  the  President  and  Mr.  Seward  drove  back  to  Wash 
ington.  This  spirit  of  mutiny  was  common  to  the  whole  army, 
and  was  not  subdued  till  several  regiments  or  parts  of  regiments 
had  been  ordered  to  Fort  Jefferson,  Florida,  as  punishment. 

General  McDowell  had  resumed  his  headquarters  at  the  Ar 
lington  House,  and  was  busily  engaged  in  restoring  order  to  his 
army,  sending  off  the  ninety-days  men,  and  replacing  them  by 
regiments  which  had  come  under  the  three-years  call.  We  were 
all  trembling  lest  we  should  be  held  personally  accountable  for 
the  disastrous  result  of  the  battle.  General  McClellan  had  been 
summoned  from  the  West  to  Washington,  and  changes  in  the 
subordinate  commands  were  announced  almost  daily.  I  remem 
ber,  as  a  group  of  officers  were  talking  in  the  large  room  of  the 
Arlington  House,  used  as  the  adjutant-general's  office,  one  even 
ing,  some  young  officer  came  in  with  a  list  of  the  new  brigadiers 
just  announced  at  the  War  Department,  which  embraced  the 
names  of  Heintzelman,  Keyes,  Franklin,  Andrew  Porter,  W. 
T.  Sherman,  and  others,  who  had  been  colonels  in  the  battle, 
and  all  of  whom  had  shared  the  common  stampede.  Of  course, 
we  discredited  the  truth  of  the  list ;  and  Heintzelman  broke  out 
in  his  nasal  voice,  "  By ,  it's  all  a  lie !  Every  moth 
er's  son  of  you  will  be  cashiered."  We  all  felt  he  was  right, 
but,  nevertheless,  it  was  true ;  and  we  were  all  announced  in 
general  orders  as  brigadier-generals  of  .volunteers. 

General  McClellan  arrived,  and,  on  assuming  command,  con 
firmed  McDowell's  organization.  Instead  of  coming  over  the 
river,  as  we  expected,  he  took  a  house  in  Washington,  and  only 
came  over  from  time  to  time  to  have  a  review  or  inspection. 


192  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

I  had  received  several  new  regiments,  and  had  begun  two  new 
forts  on  the  hill  or  plateau,  above  and  farther  out  than  Fort 
Corcoran ;  and  I  organized  a  system  of  drills,  embracing  the 
evolutions  of  the  line,  all  of  which  was  new  to  me,  and  I  had  to 
learn  the  tactics  from  books ;  but  I  was  convinced  that  we  had 
a  long,  hard  war  before  us,  and  made  up  my  mind  to  begin  at 
the  very  beginning  to  prepare  for  it. 

August  was  passing,  and  troops  were  pouring  in  from  all 
quarters ;  General  McClellan  told  me  he  intended  to  organize  an 
army  of  a  hundred  thousand  men,  with  one  hundred  field-bat 
teries,  and  I  still  hoped  he  would  come  on  our  side  of  the  Poto 
mac,  pitch  his  tent,  and  prepare  for  real  hard  work,  but  his 
headquarters  still  remained  in  a  house  in  Washington  City.  I 
then  thought,  and  still  think,  that  was  a  fatal  mistake.  His 
choice  as  general-in-chief  at  the  time  was  fully  justified  by  his 
high  reputation  in  the  army  and  country,  and,  if  he  then  had 
any  political  views  or  ambition,  I  surely  did  not  suspect  it. 

About  the  middle  of  August  I  got  a  note  from  Brigadier- 
General  Robert  Anderson,  asking  me  to  come  and  see  him  at 
his  room  at  "Willard's  Hotel.  I  rode  over  and  found  him  in 
conversation  with  several  gentlemen,  and  he  explained  to  me 
that  events  in  Kentucky  were  approaching  a  crisis ;  that  the 
Legislature  was  in  session,  and  ready,  as  soon  as  properly  backed 
by  the  General  Government,  to  take  open  sides  for  the  Union 
cause ;  that  he  was  offered  the  command  of  the  Department  of 
the  Cumberland,  to  embrace  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  etc.,  and  that 
he  wanted  help,  and  that  the  President  had  offered  to  allow  him 
to  select  out  of  the  new  brigadiers  four  of  his  own  choice.  I 
had  been  a  lieutenant  in  Captain  Anderson's  company,  at  Fort 
Moultrie,  from  1843  to  1846,  and  he  explained  that  he  wanted 
me  as  his  right  hand.  He  also  indicated  George  H.  Thomas,  D. 
C.  Buell,  and  Burnside,  as  the  other  three.  Of  course,  I  always 
wanted  to  go  West,  and  was  perfectly  willing  to  go  with  Ander 
son,  especially  in  a  subordinate  capacity.  "We  agreed  to  call  on 
the  President  on  a  subsequent  day,  to  talk  with  him  about  it, 
and  we  did.  It  hardly  seems  probable  that  Mr.  Lincoln  should 
have  come  to  AVillard's  Hotel  to  meet  us,  but  my  impression  is 


1861-'62.]  BULL  EUN  TO  PADUCAH.  193 

that  lie  did,  and  that  General  Anderson  had  some  difficulty  in 
prevailing  on  him  to  appoint  George  H.  Thomas,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  to  be  brigadier-general,  because  so  many  Southern 
officers  had  already  played  false ;  but  I  was  still  more  emphatic 
in  my  indorsement  of  him  by  reason  of  my  talk  with  him  at 
the  time  he  crossed  the  Potomac  with  Patterson's  army,  when 
Mr.  Lincoln  promised  to  appoint  him  and  to  assign  him  to  duty 
with  General  Anderson.  In  this  interview  with  Mr.  Lincoln,  I 
also  explained  to  him  my  extreme  desire  to  serve  in  a  subordi 
nate  capacity,  and  in  no  event  to  be  left  in  a  superior  command. 
He  promised  me  this  with  promptness,  making  the  jocular  re 
mark  that  his  chief  trouble  was  to  find  places  for  the  too  many 
generals  who  wanted  to  be  at  the  head  of  affairs,  to  command 
armies,  etc. 

The  official  order  is  dated — 

[Special  Order  No.  114.] 

HEADQTJABTEKS  OF  THE  ARMY,     ) 
WASHINGTON,  August  24, 1861.  j 

The  following  assignment  is  made  of  the  general  officers  of  the  volun 
teer  service,  whose  appointment  was  announced  in  General  Orders  No.  62, 
from  the  War  Department : 

To  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland,  Brigadier-General  Robert  An 
derson  commanding : 

Brigadier-General  "W.  T.  Sherman, 

Brigadier-General  George  H.  Thomas. 

•  •  •  •  ••••• 

By  command  of  Lieutenant-General  Scott : 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

After  some  days,  I  was  relieved  in  command  of  my  brigade 
and  post  by  Brigadier  General  Fitz-John  Porter,  and  at  once 
took  my  departure  for  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  via  Cresson,  Penn 
sylvania,  where  General  Anderson  was  with  his  family ;  and 
he,  Thomas,  and  I,  met  by  appointment  at  the  house  of  his 
brother,  Larz  Anderson,  Esq.,  in  Cincinnati.  We  were  there  on 
the  1st  and  2d  of  September,  when  several  prominent  gentlemen 
of  Kentucky  met  us  to  discuss  the  situation,  among  whom  were 
Jackson,  Harlan,  Speed,  and  others.  At  that  time,  William 
13 


194  BULL  BUN"  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'C2. 

Nelson,  an  officer  of  the  navy,  had  been  commissioned  a  briga 
dier-general  of  volunteers,  and  had  his  camp  at  Dick  Robinson, 
a  few  miles  beyond  the  Kentucky  River,  south  of  Nicholasville ; 
and  Brigadier-General  L.  H.  Rousseau  had  another  camp  at 
Jeffersonville,  opposite  Louisville.  The  State  Legislature  was 
in  session  at  Frankfort,  and  was  ready  to  take  definite  action  as 
soon  as  General  Anderson  was  prepared,  for  the  State  was 
threatened  with  invasion  from  Tennessee,  by  two  forces :  one 
from  the  direction  of  Nashville,  commanded  by  Generals  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston  and  Buckner ;  and  the  other  from  the  direction 
of  Cumberland  Gap,  commanded  by  Generals  Crittenden  and 
Zollicoffer.  General  Anderson  saw  that  he  had  not  force  enough 
to  resist  these  two  columns,  and  concluded  to  send  me  in  person 
for  help  to  Indianapolis  and  Springfield,  to  confer  with  the 
Governors  of  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  and  to  General  .Fremont, 
who  commanded  in  St.  Louis. 

McClellan  and  Fremont  were  the  two  men  toward  whom 
the  country  looked  as  the  great  Union  leaders,  and  toward  them 
were  streaming  the  newly-raised  regiments  of  infantry  and  cav 
alry,  and  batteries  of  artillery ;  nobody  seeming  to  think  of  the 
intervening  link  covered  by  Kentucky.  "WTiile  I  was  to  make 
this  tour,  Generals  Anderson  and  Thomas  were  to  go  to  Louis 
ville  and  initiate  the  department.  None  of  us  had  a  staff,  or  any 
of  the  machinery  for  organizing  an  army,  and,  indeed,  we  had 
no  army  to  organize.  Anderson  was  empowered  to  raise  regi 
ments  in  Kentucky,  and  to  commission  a  few  brigadier-generals. 

At  Indianapolis  I  found  Governor  Morton  and  all  the  State 
officials  busy  in  equipping  and  providing  for  the  new  regi 
ments,  and  my  object  was  to  divert  some  of  them  toward 
Kentucky ;  but  they  were  called  for  as  fast  as  they  were  mus 
tered  in,  either  for  the  army  of  McClellan  or  Fremont.  At 
Springfield  also  I  found  the  same  general  activity  and  zeal, 
Governor  Yates  busy  in  providing  for  his  men ;  but  these  men 
also  had  been  promised  to  Fremont.  I  then  went  on  to  St. 
Louis,  where  all  was  seeming  activity,  bustle,  and  preparation. 
Meeting  R.  M.  Renick  at  the  Planters'  House  (where  I  stopped), 
I  inquired  where  I  could  find  General  Fremont.  Renick  said, 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUX  TO  PADUOAH.  195 

"What  do  you  want  with  General  Fremont?"  I  said  I  had 
come  to  see  him  on  business ;  and  he  added,  "  Tou  don't  sup 
pose  that  he  will  see  such  as  you  ? "  and  went  on  to  retail  all  the 
scandal  of  the  day :  that  Fremont  was  a  great  potentate,  sur 
rounded  by  sentries  and  guards;  that  he  had  a  more  showy 
court  than  any  real  king ;  that  he  kept  senators,  governors,  and 
the  first  citizens,  dancing  attendance  for  days  and  weeks  before 
granting  an  audience,  etc. ;  that  if  I  expected  to  see  him  on 
business,  I  would  have  to  make  my  application  in  writing,  and 
submit  to  a  close  scrutiny  by  his  chief  of  staff  and  by  his  civil 
surroundings.  Of  course  I  laughed  at  all  this,  and  renewed  my 
simple  inquiry  as  to  where  was  his  office,  aud  was  informed  that 
he  resided  and  had  his  office  at  Major  Brant's  new  house  on 
Chouteau  Avenue.  It  was  then  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  con 
cluded  to  wait  till  the  next  morning ;  but  that  night  I  received 
a  dispatch  from  General  Anderson  in  Louisville  to  hurry  back, 
as  events  were  pressing,  and  he  needed  me. 

Accordingly,  I  rose  early  next  morning  before  daybreak,  got 
breakfast  with  the  early  railroad-passengers,  and  about  sunrise 
was  at  the  gate  of  General  Fremont's  headquarters.  A  sen 
tinel  with  drawn  sabre  paraded  up  and  down  in  front  of  the 
house.  I  had  on  my  undress  uniform  indicating  my  rank,  and 
inquired  of  the  sentinel,  "  Is  General  Fremont  up  ? "  He  an 
swered,  "  I  don't  know."  Seeing  that  he  was  a  soldier  by  his 
bearing,  I  spoke  in  a  sharp,  emphatic  voice,  "  Then  find  out." 
He  called  for  the  corporal  of  the  guard,  and  soon  a  fine-looking 
German  sergeant  came,  to  whom  I  addressed  the  same  inquiry. 
He  in  turn  did  not  know,  and  I  bade  him  find  out,  as  I  had 
immediate  and  important  business  with  the  general.  The  ser 
geant  entered  the  house  by  the  front-basement  door,  and  after 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes  the  main  front-door  above  was  slowly 
opened  from  the  inside,  and  who  should  appear  but  my  old 
San  Francisco  acquaintance  Isaiah  C.  Woods,  whom  I  had  not 
seen  or  heard  of  since  his  flight  to  Australia,  at  the  time  of  the 
failure  of  Adams  &  Co.  in  1855 !  He  ushered  me  in  hastily, 
closed  the  door,  and  conducted  me  into  the  office  on  the  right 
of  the  hall.  We  were  glad  to  meet,  after  so  long  and  event- 


196  BULL  KTJN  TO  PADUOAH.  [1861-'62. 

ful  an  interval,  and  mutually  inquired  after  our  respective 
families  and  special  acquaintances.  I  found  that  he  was  a 
commissioned  officer,  a  major  on  duty  with  Fremont,  and 
Major  Eaton,  now  of  the  Paymaster's  Department,  was  in  the 
same  office  with  him.  I  explained  to  them  that  I  had  come 
from  General  Anderson,  and  wanted  to  confer  with  General 
Fremont  in  person.  Woods  left  me,  but  soon  returned,  said 
the  general  would  see  me  in  a  very  few  minutes,  and  within 
ten  minutes  I  was  shown  across  the  hall  into  the  large  parlor, 
where  General  Fremont  received  me  very  politely.  We  had 
met  before,  as  early  as  1847,  in  California,  and  I  had  also  seen 
him  several  times  when  he  was  senator.  I  then  in  a  rapid 
manner  ran  over  all  the  points  of  interest  in  General  Anderson's 
new  sphere  of  action,  hoped  he  would  spare  us  from  the  new 
levies  what  troops  he  could,  and  generally  act  in  concert  with 
us.  He  told  me  that  his  first  business  would  be  to  drive  the 
rebel  General  Price  and  his  army  out  of  Missouri,  when  he 
would  turn  his  attention  down  the  Mississippi.  He  asked  my 
opinion  about  the  various  kinds  of  field-artillery  which  manu 
facturers  were  thrusting  on  him,  especially  the  then  newly- 
invented  James  gun,  and  afterward  our  conversation  took  a 
wide  turn  about  the  character  of  the  principal  citizens  of  St. 
Louis,  with  whom  I  was  well  acquainted. 

Telling  General  Fremont  that  I  had  been  summoned  to 
Louisville,  and  that  I  should  leave  in  the  first  train,  viz.,  at  3 
p.  M.,  I  took  my  leave  of  him.  Returning  to  Wood's  office,  I 
found  there  two  more  Californians,  viz.,  Messrs.  Palmer  and 
Haskell,  so  I  felt  that,  while  Fremont  might  be  suspicious  of 
others,  he  allowed  free  ingress  to  his  old  California  acquaint 
ances. 

Returning  to  the  Planters'  House,  I  heard  of  Beard,  an 
other  Californian,  a  Mormon,  who  had  the  contract  for  the 
line  of  redoubts  which  Fremont  had  ordered  to  be  constructed 
around  the  city,  before  he  would  take  his  departure  for  the 
interior  of  the  State ;  and  while  I  stood  near  the  office-counter, 
I  saw  old  Baron  Steinberger,  a  prince  among  our  early  California 
adventurers,  come  in  and  look  over  the  register.  I  avoided  him 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  197 

on  purpose,  but  his  presence  in  St.  Louis  recalled  the  maxim, 
"  "Where  the  vultures  are,  there  is  a  carcass  close  by ; "  and  I 
suspected  that  the  profitable  contracts  of  the  quartermaster, 
McKinstry,  had  drawn  to  St.  Louis  some  of  the  most  enter 
prising  men  of  California.  I  suspect  they  can  account  for  the 
fact  that,  in  a  very  short  time,  Fremont  fell  from  his  high  estate 
in  Missouri,  by  reason  of  frauds,  or  supposed  frauds,  in  the  ad 
ministration  of  the  affairs  of  his  command. 

I  left  St.  Louis  that  afternoon  and  reached  Louisville  the 
next  morning.  I  found  General  Anderson  quartered  at  the 

Louisville  Hotel,  and  he  had  taken  a  dwelling  house  on 

Street  as  an  office.  Captain  O.  D.  Greene  was  his  adjutant-gen 
eral,  Lieutenant  Throckmorton  his  aide,  and  Captain  Prime,  of 
the  Engineer  Corps,  was  on  duty  with  him.  General  George 
H.  Thomas  had  been  dispatched  to  camp  Dick  Eobinson,  to 
relieve  Kelson. 

The  city  was  full  of  all  sorts  of  rumors.  The  Legislature, 
moved  by  considerations  purely  of  a  political  nature,  had  taken 
the  step,  whatever  it  was,  that  amounted  to  an  adherence  to  the 
Union,  instead  of  joining  the  already-seceded  States.  This  was 
universally  known  to  be  the  signal  for  action.  For  it  we  were 
utterly  unprepared,  whereas  the  rebels  were  fully  prepared. 
General  Sidney  Johnston  immediately  crossed  into  Kentucky, 
and  advanced  as  far  as  Bowling  Green,  which  he  began  to 
fortify,  and  thence  dispatched  General  Buckner  with  a  division 
forward  toward  Louisville ;  General  Zollicoffer,  in  like  manner, 
entered  the  State  and  advanced  as  far  as  Somerset.  On  the 
day  I  reached  Louisville  the  excitement  ran  high.  It  was 
known  that  Columbus,  Kentucky,  had  been  occupied,  September 
7th,  by  a  strong  rebel  force,  under  Generals  Pillow  and  Polk, 
and  that  General  Grant  had  moved  from  Cairo  and  occupied 
Paducah  in  force  on  the  6th.  Many  of  the  rebel  families  ex 
pected  Buckner  to  reach  Louisville  at  any  moment.  That  night, 
General  Anderson  sent  for  me,  and  I  found  with  him  Mr. 
Guthrie,  president  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad, 
who  had  in  his  hands  a  dispatch  to  the  effect  that  the  bridge 
across  the  Rolling  Fork  of  Salt  Creek,  less  than  thirty  miles 


198  BULL  KUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

out,  had  been  burned,  and  that  Buckner's  force,  en  route  for 
Louisville,  had  been  detained  beyond  Green  Kiver  by  a  train 
thrown  from  the  track.  We  learned  afterward  that  a  man 
named  Bird  had  displaced  a  rail  on  purpose  to  throw  the  train 
off  the  track,  and  thereby  give  us  time. 

Mr.  Guthrie  explained  that  in  the  ravine  just  beyond  Salt 
Creek  were  several  high  and  important  trestles  which,  if  de 
stroyed,  would  take  months  to  replace,  and  General  Anderson 
thought  it  well  worth  the  effort  to  save  them.  Also,  on  Mul- 
draugh's  Hill  beyond,  was  a  strong  position,  which  had  in  former 
years  been  used  as  the  site  for  the  State  "  Camp  of  Instruction," 
and  we  all  supposed  that  General  Buckner,  who  was  familiar 
with  the  ground,  was  aiming  for  a  position  there,  from  which 
to  operate  on  Louisville. 

All  the  troops  we  had  to  counteract  Buckner  were  Rousseau's 
Legion,  and  a  few  Home  Guards  in  Louisville.  The  former  were 
still  encamped  across  the  river  at  Jefferson ville ;  so  General 
Anderson  ordered  me  to  go  over,  and  with  them,  and  such 
Home  Guards  as  we  could  collect,  make  the  effort  to  secure  pos 
session  of  Muldraugh's  Hill  before  Buckner  could  reach  it.  I 
took  Captain  Prime  with  me,  and  crossed  over  to  Rousseau's 
camp.  The  long-roll  was  beaten,  and  within  an  hour  the  men, 
to  the  number  of  about  one  thousand,  were  marching  for  the 
ferry-boat  and  for  the  Nashville  depot.  Meantime  General 
Anderson  had  sent  to  collect  some  Home  Guards,  and  Mr.  Guth 
rie  to  get  the  trains  ready.  It  was  after  midnight  before  we 
began  to  move.  The  trains  proceeded  slowly,  and  it  was  day 
break  when  we  reached  Lebanon  Junction,  twenty-six  miles  out, 
where  we  disembarked,  and  marched  to  the  bridge  over  Salt 
River,  which  we  found  had  been  burnt ;  whether  to  prevent 
Buckner  coming  into  Louisville,  or  us  from  going  out,  was  not 
clear.  Rousseau's  Legion  forded  the  stream  and  marched  up  to 
the  State  Camp  of  Instruction,  finding  the  high  trestles  all 
secure.  The  railroad-hands  went  to  work  at  once  to  rebuild  the 
bridge.  I  remained  a  couple  of  days  at  Lebanon  Junction,  dur 
ing  which  General  Anderson  forwarded  two  regiments  of  volun 
teers  that  had  come  to  him.  Before  the  bridge  was  done  we 


1861-'62.j  BULL  EU1ST  TO  PADUCAH.  199 

advanced  the  whole  camp  to  the  summit  of  Muldraugh's  Hill, 
just  back  of  Elizabethtown.  There  I  learned  definitely  that 
General  Buckner  had  not  crossed  Green  River  at  all,  that  Gen 
eral  Sidney  Johnston  was  fortifying  Bowling  Green,  and  pre 
paring  for  a  systematic  advance  into  Kentucky,  of  which  he 
was  a  native,  and  with  whose  people  and  geography  he  must 
have  been  familiar. 

As  fast  as  fresh  troops  reached  Louisville,  they  were  sent 
out  to  me  at  Muldraugh's  Hill,  where  I  was  endeavoring  to 
put  them  into  shape  for  service,  and  by  the  1st  of  October  I 
had  the  equivalent  of  a  division  of  two  brigades  preparing  to 
move  forward  toward  Green  River.  The  daily  correspondence 
between  General  Anderson  and  myself  satisfied  me  that  the 
worry  and  harassment  at  Louisville  were  exhausting  his  strength 
and  health,  and  that  he  would  soon  leave.  On  a  telegraphic 
summons  from  him,  about  the  5th  of  October,  I  went  down  to 
Louisville,  when  General  Anderson  said  he  could  not  stand  the 
mental  torture  of  his  command  any  longer,  and  that  he  must  go 
away,  or  it  would  kill  him.  On  the  8th  of  October  he  actually 
published  an  order  relinquishing  the  command,  and,  by  reason 
of  my  seniority,  I  had  no  alternative  but  to  assume  command, 
though  much  against  the  grain,  and  in  direct  violation  of  Mr. 
Lincoln's  promise  to  me.  I  am  certain  that,  in  my  earliest  com 
munication  to  the  War  Department,  I  renewed  the  expression 
of  my  wish  to  remain  in  a  subordinate  position,  and  that  I  re 
ceived  the  assurance  that  Brigadier-General  Buell  would  soon 
arrive  from  California,  and  would  be  sent  to  relieve  me. 

By  that  time  I  had  become  pretty  familiar  with  the  geogra 
phy  and  the  general  resources  of  Kentucky.  We  had  parties 
all  over  the  State  raising  regiments  and  companies  ;  but  it  was 
manifest  that  the  young  men  were  generally  inclined  to  the  cause 
of  the  South,  while  the  older  men  of  property  wanted  to  be  let 
alone — i.  e.,  to  remain  neutral.  As  to  a  forward  movement  that 
fall,  it  was  simply  impracticable ;  for  we  were  forced  to  use 
divergent  lines,  leading  our  columns  farther  and  farther  apart ; 
and  all  I  could  attempt  was  to  go  .on  and  collect  force  and  ma 
terial  at  the  two  points  already  chosen,  viz.,  Dick  Robinson  and 


200  BULL  KUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

Elizabeth  town.  General  George  H.  Thomas  still  continued  to 
command  the  former,  and  on  the  12th  of  October  I  dispatched 
Brigadier-General  A.  McD.  McCook  to  command  the  latter, 
which  had  been  moved  forward  to  Nolin  Creek,  fifty-two  miles 
out  of  Louisville,  toward  Bowling  Green.  Staff-officers  began 
to  arrive  to  relieve  us  of  the  constant  drudgery  which,  up  to 
that  time,  had  been  forced  on  General  Anderson  and  myself ; 
and  these  were  all  good  men.  Colonel  Thomas  Swords,  quarter 
master,  arrived  on  the  13th ;  Paymaster  Larned  on  the  14th ;  and 
Lieutenant  Smyzer,  Fifth  Artillery,  acting  ordnance-officer,  on 
the  20th ;  Captain  Symonds  was  already  on  duty  as  the  com 
missary  of  subsistence ;  Captain  O.  D.  Greene  was  the  adjutant- 
general,  and  completed  a  good  working  staff. 

The  everlasting  worry  of  citizens  complaining  of  every  petty 
delinquency  of  a  soldier,  and  forcing  themselves  forward  to 
discuss  politics,  made  the  position  of  a  commanding  general 
no  sinecure.  I  continued  to  strengthen  the  two  corps  forward 
and  their  routes  of  supply ;  all  the  time  expecting  that  Sidney 
Johnston,  who  was  a  real  general,  and  who  had  as  correct  infor 
mation  of  our  situation  as  I  had,  would  unite  his  force  with  Zol- 
licoffer,  and  fall  on  Thomas  at  Dick  Robinson,  or  McCook  at 
Nolin.  Had  he  done  so  in  October,  1861,  he  could  have  walked 
into  Louisville,  and  the  vital  part  of  the  population  would  have 
hailed  him  as  a  deliverer.  Why  he  did  not,  was  to  me  a  mys 
tery  then  and  is  now ;  for  I  know  that  he  saw  the  move,  and 
had  his  wagons  loaded  up  at  one  time  for  a  start  toward  Frank 
fort,  passing  between  our  two  camps.  Conscious  of  our  weakness, 
I  was  unnecessarily  unhappy,  and  doubtless  exhibited  it  too 
much  to  those  near  me ;  but  it  did  seem  to  me  that  the  Govern 
ment  at  "Washington,  intent  on  the  larger  preparations  of  Fre 
mont  in  Missouri  and  McClellan  in  "Washington,  actually  ignored 
us  in  Kentucky. 

About  this  time,  say  the  middle  of  October,  I  received  notice, 
by  telegraph,  that  the  Secretary  of  War,  Mr.  Cameron  (then  in 
St.  Louis),  would  visit  me  at  Louisville,  on  his  way  back  to  Wash 
ington.  I  was  delighted  to  have  an  opportunity  to  properly 
represent  the  actual  state  of  affairs,  and  got  Mr.  Guthrie  to 


1861'-62.]  BULL  EUN  TO  PADUCAH.  201 

go  with  me  across  to  Jeffersonville,  to  meet  the  Secretary  of 
War  and  escort  him  to  Louisville.  The  train  was  behind  time, 
but  Mr.  Guthrie  and  I  waited  till  it  actually  arrived.  Mr. 
Cameron  was  attended  by  Adjutant-General  Lorenzo  Thomas, 
and  six  or  seven  gentlemen  who  turned  out  to  be  newspaper  re 
porters.  Mr.  Cameron's  first  inquiry  was,  when  he  could  start 
for  Cincinnati,  saying  that,  as  he  had  been  detained  at  St.  Louis 
so  long,  it  was  important  he  should  hurry  on  to  Washington. 
I  explained  that  the  regular  mail-boat  would  leave  very  soon 
— viz.,  at  12  M. — but  I  begged  him  to  come  over  to  Louisville  ; 
that  I  wanted  to  see  him  on  business  as  important  as  any  in 
Washington,  and  hoped  he  would  come  and  spend  at  least  a  day 
with  us.  He  asked  if  every  thing  was  not  well  with  us,  and  I 
told  him  far  from  it;  that  things  were  actually  bad,  as  bad  as 
bad  could  be.  This  seemed  to  surprise  him,  and  Mr.  Guthrie 
added  his  persuasion  to  mine ;  when  Mr.  Cameron,  learning  that 
he  could  leave  Louisville  by  rail  via  Frankfort  next  morning 
early,  and  make  the  same  connections  at  Cincinnati,  consented 
to  go  with  us  to  Louisville,  with  the  distinct  understanding  that 
he  must  leave  early  the  next  morning  for  Washington. 

We  accordingly  all  took  hacks,  crossed  the  river  by  the  ferry, 
and  drove  to  the  Gait  House,  where  I  was  then  staying.  Brig 
adier-General  T.  J.  Wood  had  come  down  from  Indianapolis  by 
the  same  train,  and  was  one  of  the  party.  We  all  proceeded  to 
my  room  on  the  first  floor  of  the  Gait  House,  where  our  excel 
lent  landlord,  Silas  Miller,  Esq.,  sent  us  a  good  lunch  and  some 
thing  to  drink.  Mr.  Cameron  was  not  well,  and  lay  on  my  bed, 
but  joined  in  the  general  conversation.  He  and  his  party  seemed 
to  be  full  of  the  particulars  of  the  developments  in  St.  Louis  of 
some  of  Fremont's  extravagant  contracts  and  expenses,  which 
were  the  occasion  of  Cameron's  trip  to  St.  Louis,  and  which 
finally  resulted  in  Fremont's  being  relieved,  first  by  General 
Hunter,  and  after  by  General  H.  W.  Halleck. 

After  some  general  conversation,  Mr.  Cameron  called  to  me, 
"  Now,  General  Sherman,  tell  us  of  your  troubles."  I  said  I 
preferred  not  to  discuss  business  with  so  many  strangers  present.1 
He  said,  "  They  are  all  friends,  all  members  of  my  family,  and 


202  BULL  KUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

you  may  speak  your  mind  freely  and  without  restraint."  I  am 
sure  I  stepped  to  the  door,  locked  it  to  prevent  intrusion,  and 
then  fully  and  fairly  represented  the  state  of  affairs  in  Ken 
tucky,  especially  the  situation  and  numbers  of  my  troops.  I  com 
plained  that  the  new  levies  of  Ohio  and  Indiana  were  diverted 
East  and  West,  and  we  got  scarcely  any  thing ;  that  our  forces 
at  JSTolin  and  Dick  Robinson  were  powerless  for  invasion,  and 
only  tempting  to  a  general  such  as  we  believed  Sidney  Johnston 
to  be  ;  that,  if  Johnston  chose,  he  could  march  to  Louisville  any 
day.  Cameron  exclaimed :  "  You  astonish  me  !  Our  informants, 
the  Kentucky  Senators  and  members  of  Congress,  claim  that  they 
have  in  Kentucky  plenty  of  men,  and  all  they  want  are  arms 
and  money."  I  then  said  it  was  not  true ;  for  the  young  men 
were  arming  and  going  out  openly  in  broad  daylight  to  the 
rebel  camps,  provided  with  good  horses  and  guns  by  their  fa 
thers,  who  were  at  best  "  neutral ; "  and  as  to  arms,  he  had,  in 
Washington,  promised  General  Anderson  forty  thousand  of  the 
best  Springfield  muskets,  instead  of  which  we  had  received  only 
about  twelve  thousand  Belgian  muskets,  which  the  Governor 
of  Pennsylvania  had  refused,  as  had  also  the  Governor  of  Ohio, 
but  which  had  been  adjudged  good  enough  for  Kentucky. 
I  asserted  that  volunteer  colonels  raising  regiments  in  various 
parts  of  the  State  had  come  to  Louisville  for  arms,  and  when 
they  saw  what  I  had  to  offer  had  scorned  to  receive  them — to 
confirm  the  truth  of  which  I  appealed  to  Mr.  Guthrie,  who  said 
that  every  word  I  had  spoken  was  true,  and  he  repeated  what  1 
had  often  heard  him  say,  that  no  man  who  owned  a  slave  or  a 
mule  in  Kentucky  could  be  trusted. 

Mr.  Cameron  appeared  alarmed  at  what  was  said,  and  turned 
to  Adjutant-General  L.  Thomas,  to  inquire  if  he  knew  of  any 
troops  available,  that  had  not  been  already  assigned.  He 
mentioned  ISTegley's  Pennsylvania  Brigade,  at  Pittsburg,  and 
a  couple  of  other  regiments  that  were  then  en  route  for  St. 
Louis.  Mr.  Cameron  ordered  him  to  divert  these  to  Louisville, 
and  Thomas  made  the  telegraphic  orders  on  the  spot.  He 
further  promised,  on  reaching  Washington,  to  give  us  more  of 
his  time  and  assistance. 


1861-'62.]  BULL  KUtf  TO  PADUCAH.  203 

In  the  general  conversation  which  followed,  I  remember  tak 
ing  a  large  map  of  the  United  States,  and  assuming  the  people 
of  the  whole  South  to  be  in  rebellion,  that  our  task  was  to  subdue 
them,  showed  that  McClellan  was  on  the  left,  having  a  frontage 
of  less  than  a  hundred  miles,  and  Fremont  the  right,  about  the 
same ;  whereas  I,  the  centre,  had  from  the  Big  Sandy  to  Padu- 
cah,  over  three  hundred  miles  of  frontier;  that  McClellan  had,a 
hundred  thousand  men,  Fremont  sixty  thousand,  whereas  to  me 
had  only  been  allotted  about  eighteen  thousand.  I  argued  that, 
for  the  purpose  of  defense,  we  should  have  sixty  thousand  men 
at  once,  and  for  offense,  would  need  two  hundred  thousand,  be 
fore  we  were  done.  Mr.  Cameron,  who  still  lay  on  the  bed, 
threw  up  his  hands  and  exclaimed,  "  Great  God !  where  are  they 
to  come  from  ? "  I  asserted  that  there  were  plenty  of  men  at  the 
North,  ready  and  willing  to  come,  if  he  would  only  accept  their 
services  j  for  it  was  notorious  that  regiments  had  been  formed 
in  all  the  Northwestern  States,  whose  services  had  been  refused 
by  the  War  Department,  on  the  ground  that  they  would  not 
be  needed.  We  discussed  all  these  matters  fully,  in  the  most 
friendly  spirit,  and  I  thought  I  had  aroused  Mr.  Cameron  to  a 
realization  of  the  great  war  that  was  before  us,  and  was  in  fact 
upon  us.  I  heard  him  tell  General  Thomas  to  make  a  note  of 
our  conversation,  that  he  might  attend  to  my  requests  on 
reaching  Washington.  We  all  spent  the  evening  together 
agreeably  in  conversation,  many  Union  citizens  calling  to  pay 
their  respects,  and  the  next  morning  early  we  took  the  train  for 
Frankfort ;  Mr.  Cameron  and  party  going  on  to  Cincinnati  and 
Washington,  and  I  to  Camp  Dick  Robinson  to  see  General 
Thomas  and  the  troops  there. 

I  found  General  Thomas  in  a  tavern,  with  most  of  his  regi 
ments  camped  about  him.  He  had  sent  a  small  force  some  miles 
in  advance  toward  Cumberland  Gap,  under  Brigadier-General 
Schoepf.  Eemaining  there  a  couple  of  days,  I  returned  to 
Louisville;  on  the  22d  of  October,  General  Negley's  brigade 
arrived  in  boats  from  Pittsburg,  was  sent  out  to  Camp  Nolin ; . 
and  the  Thirty-seventh  Indiana,  Colonel  Hazzard,  and  Second 
Minnesota,  Colonel  Yan  Cleve,  also  reached  Louisville  by  rail, 


201  BULL  KUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

and  were  posted  at  Elizabethtown  and  Lebanon  Junction.  These 
were  the  same  troops  which  had  been  ordered  by  Mr.  Cameron 
when  at  Louisville,  and  they  were  all  that  I  received  thereafter, 
prior  to  my  leaving  Kentucky.  On  reaching  "Washington,  Mr. 
Cameron  called  on  General  Thomas,  as  he  himself  afterward  told 
me,  to  submit  his  memorandum  of  events  during  his  absence, 
and  in  that  memorandum  was  mentioned  my  insane  request  for 
two  hundred  thousand  men.  By  some  newspaper  man  this  was 
seen  and  published,  and,  before  I  had  the  least  conception  of  it, 
I  was  universally  published  throughout  the  country  as  "  insane, 
crazy,"  etc.  Without  any  knowledge,  however,  of  this  fact,  I 
had  previously  addressed  to  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  army 
at  "Washington  this  letter : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND,  { 
LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY,  October  22,  1861.     J 

To  General  L.  THOMAS,  Adjutant- General,  Washington,  D.  G. 

SIB  :  On  my  arrival  at  Camp  Dick  Kobinson,  I  found  General  Thomas 
had  stationed  a  Kentucky  regiment  at  Rock  Castle  Hill,  beyond  a  river  of 
the  same  name,  and  had  sent  an  Ohio  and  an  Indiana  regiment  forward  in 
support.  He  was  embarrassed  for  transportation,  and  I  authorized  him  to 
hire  teams,  and  to  move  his  whole  force  nearer  to  his  advance-guard,  so  as 
to  support  it,  as  he  had  information  of  the  approach  of  Zollicoffer  toward 
London.  I  have  just  heard  from  him,  that  he  had  sent  forward  General 
Schoepf  with  Colonel  "Wolford's  cavalry,  Colonel  Steadman's  Ohio  regiment, 
and  a  battery  of  artillery,  followed  on  a  succeeding  day  by  a  Tennessee 
brigade.  He  had  still  two  Kentucky  regiments,  the  Thirty-eighth  Ohio  and 
another  battery  of  artillery,  with  which  he  was  to  follow  yesterday.  This 
force,  if  concentrated,  should  be  strong  enough  for  the  purpose ;  at  all  events, 
it  is  all  he  had  or  I  could  give  him. 

I  explained  to  you  fully,  when  here,  the  supposed  position  of  our  adver 
saries,  among  which  was  a  force  in  the  valley  of  Big  Sandy,  supposed  to  be 
advancing  on  Paris,  Kentucky.  General  Nelson  at  Maysville  was  instructed 
to  collect  all  the  men  he  could,  and  Colonel  Gill's  regiment  of  Ohio  Volun 
teers.  Colonel  Harris  was  already  in  position  at  Olympian  Springs,  and  a 
regiment  lay  at  Lexington,  which  I  ordered  to  his  support.  This  leaves 
the  line  of  Thomas's  operations  exposed,  but  I  cannot  help  it.  I  explained 
so  fully  to  yourself  and  the  Secretary  of  War  the  condition  of  things,  that 
I  can  add  nothing  new  until  further  developements.  You  know  my  views 
that  this  great  centre  of  our  field  is  too  weak,  far  too  weak,  and  I  have 
begged  and  implored  till  I  dare  not  say  more. 


1861-'62.j  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  205 

Buckner  still  is  beyond  Green  River.  He  sent  a  detachment  of  his 
men,  variously  estimated  at  from  two  to  four  thousand  toward  Greens- 
burg.  General  "Ward,  with  about  one  thousand  men,  retreated  to  Camp- 
bellsburg,  where  he  called  to  his  assistance  some  partially-formed  regi 
ments  to  the  number  of  about  two  thousand.  The  enemy  did  not  advance, 
and  General  "Ward  was  at  last  dates  at  Campbellsburg.  The  officers 
charged  with  raising  regiments  must  of  necessity  be  near  their  homes  to 
collect  men,  and  for  this  reason  are  out  of  position ;  but  at  or  near  Greens- 
burg  and  Lebanon,  I  desire  to  assemble  as  large  a  force  of  the  Kentucky 
Volunteers  as  possible.  This  organization  is  necessarily  irregular,  but  the 
necessity  is  so  great  that  I  must  have  them,  and  therefore  have  issued  to 
them  arms  and  clothing  during  the  process  of  formation.  This  has  facili 
tated  their  enlistment ;  but  inasmuch  as  the  Legislature  has  provided 
money  for  organizing  the  Kentucky  Volunteers,  and  intrusted  its  dis 
bursement  to  a  board  of  loyal  gentlemen,  I  have  endeavored  to  cooperate 
with  them  to  hasten  the  formation  of  these  corps. 

The  great  difficulty  is,  and  has  been,  that  as  volunteers  offer,  we  have  not 
arms  and  clothing  to  give  them.  The  arms  sent  us  are,  as  you  already 
know,  European  muskets  of  uncouth  pattern,  which  the  volunteers  will  not 
touch. 

General  McOook  has  now  three  brigades — Johnson's,  "Wood's,  and 
Rousseau's.  Negley's  brigade  arrived  to-day,  and  will  be  sent  out  at  once. 
The  Minnesota  regiment  has  also  arrived,  and  will  be  sent  forward.  Haz- 
zard's  regiment  of  Indiana  troops  I  have  ordered  to  the  mouth  of  Salt 
Creek,  an  important  point  on  the  turnpike-road  leading  to  Elizabethtown. 

I  again  repeat  that  our  force  here  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  impor 
tance  of  the  position.    Our  defeat  would  be  disastrous  to  the  nation ;  and  to 
expect  of  new  men,  who  never  bore  arms,  to  do  miracles,  is  not  right. 
I  am,  with  much  respect,  yours  truly, 

"W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Brigadier-  General  commanding. 


About  this  time  my  attention  was  drawn  to  the  publication  in 
all  the  Eastern  papers,  which  of  course  was  copied  at  the  "West, 
of  the  report  that  I  was  "  crazy,  insane,  and  mad,"  that  "  I  had 
demanded  two  hundred  thousand  men  for  the  defense  of  Ken 
tucky  ; "  and  the  authority  given  for  this  report  was  stated  to  be 
the  Secretary  of  "War  himself,  Mr.  Cameron,  who  never,  to  my 
knowledge,  took  pains  to  affirm  or  deny  it.  My  position  was 
therefore  simply  unbearable,  and  it  is  probable  I  resented  the 
cruel  insult  with  language  of  intense  feeling.  Still  I  received 
no  orders,  no  reinforcements,  not  a  word  of  encouragement  or 


206  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUOAH.  [1861-'62. 

relief.  About  November  1st,  General  McClellan  was  appointed 
commander-in-cliief  of  all  the  armies  in  the  field,  and  by  tele 
graph  called  for  a  report  from  me.  It  is  herewith  given  : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND,  ) 
LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY,  November  4, 1861.         ) 

General  L.  THOMAS,  Adjutant- General,  Washington,  D.  C. 

SIR  :  In  compliance  with  the  telegraphic  orders  of  General  McClellan, 
received  late  last  night,  I  submit  this  report  of  the  forces  in  Kentucky, 
and  of  their  condition. 

The  tabular  statement  shows  the  position  of  the  several  regiments.  The 
camp  at  Nolin  is  at  the  present  extremity  of  the  Nashville  Eailroad.  This 
force  was  thrown  forward  to  meet  the  advance  of  Buckner's  army,  which 
then  fell  back  to  Green  Eiver,  twenty-three  miles  beyond.  These  regi 
ments  were  substantially  without  means  of  transportation,  other  than  the 
railroad,  which  is  guarded  at  all  dangerous  points,  yet  is  liable  to  interrup 
tion  at  any  moment,  by  the  tearing  up  of  a  rail  by  the  disaffected  inhabi 
tants  or  a  hired  enemy.  These  regiments  are  composed  of  good  materials, 
but  devoid  of  company  officers  of  experience,  and  have  been  put  under 
thorough  drill  since  being  in  camp.  They  are  generally  well  clad,  and 
provided  for.  Beyond  Green  Eiver,  the  enemy  has  masked  his  forces,  and 
it  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain  even  the  approximate  numbers.  No  pains 
have  been  spared  to  ascertain  them,  but  without  success,  and  it  is  well 
known  that  they  far  outnumber  us.  Depending,  however,  on  the  railroads 
to  their  rear  for  transportation,  they  have  not  thus  far  advanced  this  side  of 
Green  Eiver,  except  in  marauding  parties.  This  is  the  proper  line  of  ad 
vance,  but  will  require  a  very  large  force,  certainly  fifty  thousand  men,  as 
their  railroad  facilities  south  enable  them  to  concentrate  at  Munfordsville 
the  entire  strength  of  the  South.  General  McCook's  command  is  divided 
into  four  brigades,  under  Generals  Wood,  E.  "W.  Johnson,  Eousseau,  and 
Negley. 

General  Thomas's  line  of  operations  is  from  Lexington,  toward  Cumber 
land  Gap  and  Ford,  which  are  occupied  by  a  force  of  rebel  Tennesseeans, 
under  the  command  of  Zollicoffer.  Thomas  occupies  the  position  at  Lon 
don,  in  front  of  two  roads  which  lead  to  the  fertile  part  of  Kentucky,  the 
one  by  Eichmond,  and  the  other  by  Crab  Orchard,  with  his  reserve  at 
Camp  Dick  Eobinson,  eight  miles  south  of  the  Kentucky  Eiver.  His  pro 
visions  and  stores  go  by  railroad  from  Cincinnati  to  Nicholasville,  and 
thence  in  wagons  to  his  several  regiments.  He  is  forced  to  hire  transpor 
tation. 

Brigadier-General  Nelson  is  operating  by  the  line  from  Olympian  Springs, 
east  of  Paris,  on  the  Covington  &  Lexington  Eailroad,  toward  Preston- 
burg,  in  the  valley  of  the  Big  Sandy,  where  is  assembled  a  force  of  from 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  207 

twenty-five  to  thirty-five  hundred  rebel  Kentuckians  waiting  reenforce- 
ments  from  Virginia.  My  last  report  from  him  was  to  October  28th,  at 
which  tune  he  had  Colonel  Harris's  Ohio  Second,  nine  hundred  strong; 
Colonel  Norton's  Twenty-first  Ohio,  one  thousand;  and  Colonel  Sill's  Thir 
ty-third  Ohio,  seven  hundred  and  fifty  strong ;  with  two  irregular  Kentucky 
regiments,  Colonels  Marshall  and  Metcalf.  These  troops  were  on  the  road 
Dear  Hazel  Green  and  West  Liberty,  advancing  toward  Prestonburg. 

Upon  an  inspection  of  the  map,  you  will  observe  these  are  all  divergent 
lines,  but  rendered  necessary,  from  the  fact  that  our  enemies  choose  them 
as  places  of  refuge  from  pursuit,  where  they  can  receive  assistance  from 
neighboring  States.  Our  lines  are  all  too  weak,  probably  with  the  ex 
ception  of  that  to  Prestonburg.  To  strengthen  these,  I  am  thrown  on  the 
raw  levies  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  who  arrive  in  detachments,  perfectly  fresh 
from  the  country,  and  loaded  down  with  baggage,  also  upon  the  Kentuck 
ians,  who  are  slowly  forming  regiments  all  over  the  State,  at  points  re 
mote  from  danger,  and  whom  it  will  be  almost  impossible  to  assemble  to 
gether.  The  organization  of  this  latter  force  is,  by  the  laws  of  Kentucky, 
under  the  control  of  a  military  board  of  citizens,  at  the  capital,  Frankfort, 
and  they  think  they  will  be  enabled  to  have  fifteen  regiments  toward  the 
middle  of  this  month,  but  I  doubt  it,  and  deem  it  unsafe  to  rely  on  them. 
There  are  four  regiments  forming  in  the  neighborhood  of  Owensboro',  near 
the  mouth  of  Green  River,  who  are  doing  good  service,  also  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Campbellsville,  but  it  is  unsafe  to  rely  on  troops  so  suddenly 
armed  and  equipped.  They  are  not  yet  clothed  or  uniformed.  I  know 
well  you  will  think  our  force  too  widely  distributed,  but  we  are  forced  to  it 
by  the  attitude  of  our  enemies,  whose  force  and  numbers  the  country  never 
has  and  probably  never  will  comprehend. 

I  am  told  that  my  estimate  of  troops  needed  for  this  line,  viz.,  two 
hundred  thousand,  has  been  construed  to  my  prejudice,  and  therefore  leave 
it  for  the  future.  This  is  the  great  centre  on  which  our  enemies  can  con 
centrate  whatever  force  is  not  employed  elsewhere.  Detailed  statement 
of  present  force  inclosed  with  this. 

"With  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Brigadier- General  commanding. 

BRIGADIER-GENERAL    MOCOOK's    CAMP,   AT    NOLDf,    FIFTY-TWO    MILES 
FROM  LOUISVILLE,    KENTUCKY,   NOVEMBER   4,  1861. 

First  Brigade  (General  ROUSSEATT). — Third  Kentucky,  Colonel  Bulkley ; 
Fourth  Kentucky,  Colonel  Whittaker;  First  Cavalry,  Colonel  Board; 
Stone's  battery ;  two  companies  Nineteenth  United  States  Infantry,  and 
two  companies  Fifteenth  United  States  Infantry,  Captain  Gilman. 

Second  Brigade  (General  T.  J.  WOOD).— Thirty-eighth  Indiana,  Colonel 


208  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

Scribner ;  Thirty-ninth  Indiana,  Colonel  Harrison ;  Thirtieth  Indiana,  Colo 
nel  Bass ;  Twenty-ninth  Indiana,  Colonel  Miller. 

Third  Brigade  (General  JOHNSON). — Forty-ninth  Ohio,  Colonel  Gibson  ; 
Fifteenth  Ohio,  Colonel  Dickey ;  Thirty-fourth  Illinois,  Colonel  King ;  Thir 
ty-second  Indiana,  Colonel  "Willach. 

Fourth  Brigade  (General  NEGLEY). — Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania, 
Colonel  Hambright ;  Seventy-eighth  Pennsylvania,  Colonel  Sinnell ;  Seven 
ty-ninth  Pennsylvania,  Colonel  Stambaugh ;  Battery ,  Captain  Mueller. 

Camp  Dick  Robinson  (General  G.  H.  THOMAS). Kentucky,  Colo 
nel  Bramlette ;  Kentucky,  Colonel  Fry ;  Kentucky  Cavalry,  Colo 
nel  "Woolford ;  Fourteenth 'Ohio,  Colonel  Steadman  ;  First  Artillery,  Colonel 
Barnett;  Third  Ohio,  Colonel  Carter;  East  Tennessee,  Colonel  Byrd. 

Bardstown,  Kentucky. — Tenth  Indiana,  Colonel  Manson. 

Crab  Orchard. — Thirty-third  Indiana,  Colonel  Coburn. 

Jeffersonville,  Indiana. — Thirty-fourth  Indiana,  Colonel  Steele  ;  Thirty- 
sixth  Indiana,  Colonel  Grose  ;  First  Wisconsin,  Colonel  Starkweather. 

Mouth  of  Salt  River. — Ninth  Michigan,  Colonel  Duffield ;  Thirty- 
seventh  Indiana,  Colonel  Hazzard. 

Lebanon  Junction. — Second  Minnesota,  Colonel  Van  Cleve. 

Olympian  Springs. — Second  Ohio,  Colonel  Harris. 

Cynthiana,  Kentucky. — Thirty-fifth  Ohio,  Colonel  Yandever. 

Nicholasville,  Kentucky. — Twenty-first  Ohio,  Colonel  Norton ;  Thirty- 
eighth  Ohio,  Colonel  Bradley. 

Big  Hill. — Seventeenth  Ohio,  Colonel  Connell. 

Colesburg. — Twenty-fourth  Illinois,  Colonel  Hecker. 

Eliza'bethtown,  Kentucky. — Nineteenth  Illinois,  Colonel  Turchin. 

Owensboro1  or  Henderson. — Thirty-first  Indiana,  Colonel  Cruft;  Colo 
nel  Edwards,  forming  Rock  Castle ;  Colonel  Boyle,  Harrodsburg ;  Colonel 
Barney,  Irvine ;  Colonel  Hazzard,  Burksville ;  Colonel  Haskins,  Somerset. 

And,  in  order  to  conclude  this  subject,  I  also  add  copies  of 
two  telegraphic  dispatches,  sent  for  General  McClellan's  use 
about  the  same  time,  which  are  all  the  official  letters  received  at 
his  headquarters,  as  certified  by  the  Adjutant-General,  L.  Thomas, 
in  a  letter  of  February  1,  1862,  in  answer  to  an  application  of 
my  brother,  Senator  John  Sherman,  and  on  which  I  was  ad 
judged  insane : 

LOUISVILLE,  November  3, 10  p.  M. 
To  General  MCCLELLAN,  Washington^  D.  C, : 

Dispatch  just  received.  "We  are  forced  to  operate  on  three  lines,  all  de 
pendent  on  railroads  of  doubtful  safety,  requiring  strong  guards.  From 
Paris  to  Prestonburg,  three  Ohio  regiments  and  some  militia — enemy  vari- 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  209 

ously  reported  from  thirty-five  hundred  to  seven  thousand.  From  Lexing 
ton  toward  Cumberland  Gap,  Brigadier-General  Thomas,  one  Indiana  and 
five  Ohio  regiments,  two  Kentucky  and  two  Tennessee ;  hired  wagons  and 
badly  clad.  Zollicofier,  at  Cumberland  Ford,  about  seven  thousand.  Lee 
reported  on  the  way  with  Virginia  reinforcements.  In  front  of  Louisville, 
fifty-two  miles,  McCook,  with  four  brigades  of  about  thirteen  thousand,  with 
four  regiments  to  guard  the  railroad,  at  all  times  in  danger.  Enemy  along 
the  railroad  from  Green  River  to  Bowling  Green,  Nashville,  and  Clarksville. 
Buckner,  Hardee,  Sidney  Johnston,  Polk,  and  Pillow,  the  two  former  in  im 
mediate  command,  the  force  as  large  as  they  want  or  can  subsist,  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  thousand.  Bowling  Green  strongly  fortified.  Our 
forces  too  small  to  do  good,  and  too  large  to  sacrifice. 

"W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Brigadier- General. 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND,  1 
LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY,  November  6,  1861.      j 

General  L.  THOMAS,  Adjutant- General. 

SIR  :  General  McClellan  telegraphs  me  to  report  to  him  daily  the  situa 
tion  of  affairs  here.  The  country  is  so  large  that  it  is  impossible  to  give 
clear  and  definite  views.  Our  enemies  have  a  terrible  advantage  in  the  fact 
that  in  our  midst,  in  our  camps,  and  along  our  avenues  of  travel,  they  have 
active  partisans,  farmers  and  business-men,  who  seemingly  pursue  their 
usual  calling,  but  are  in  fact  spies.  They  report  all  our  movements  and 
strength,  while  we  can  procure  information  only  by  circuitous  and  unrelia 
ble  means.  I  inclose  you  the  copy  of  an  intercepted  letter,  which  is  but  the 
type  of  others.  Many  men  from  every  part  of  the  State  are  now  enrolled 
under  Buckner — have  gone  to  him — while  ours  have  to  be  raised  in  neigh 
borhoods,  and  cannot  be  called  together  except  at  long  notice.  These  vol 
unteers  are  being  organized  under  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  the  10th  of 
November  is  fixed  for  the  time  of  consolidating  them  into  companies  and 
regiments.  Many  of  them  are  armed  by  the  United  States  as  home  guards, 
and  many  by  General  Anderson  and  myself,  because  of  the  necessity  of  be 
ing  armed  to  guard  their  camps  against  internal  enemies.  Should  we  be 
overwhelmed,  they  would  scatter,  and  their  arms  and  clothing  will  go  to 
the  enemy,  furnishing  the  very  material  they  so  much  need.  "We  should 
have  here  a  very  large  force,  sufficient  to  give  confidence  to  the  Union  men 
of  the  ability  to  do  what  should  be  done — possess  ourselves  of  all  the  State. 
But  all  see  and  feel  we  are  brought  to  a  stand-still,  and  this  produces  doubt 
and  alarm.  "With  our  present  force  it  would  be  simple  madness  to  cross 
Green  Eiver,  and  yet  hesitation  may  be  as  fatal.  In  like  manner  the  other 
columns  are  in  peril,  not  so  much  in  front  as  rear,  the  railroads  over  which 
our  stores  must  pass  being  much  exposed.  I  have  the  Nashville  Railroad 
guarded  by  three  regiments,  yet  it  is  far  from  being  safe ;  and,  the  moment 
14 


210  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUOAH.  [1861-'62. 

actual  hostilities  commence,  these  roads  will  he  interrupted,  and  we  will  be 
in  a  dilemma.  To  meet  this  in  part  I  have  put  a  cargo  of  provisions  at  the 
mouth  of  Salt  Kiver,  guarded  by  two  regiments.  All  these  detachments 
weaken  the  main  force,  and  endanger  the  whole.  Do  not  conclude,  as  be 
fore,  that  I  exaggerate  the  facts.  They  are  as  stated,  and  the  future  looks 
as  dark  as  possible.  It  would  be  better  if  some  man  of  sanguine  mind  were 
here,  for  I  am  forced  to  order  according  to  my  convictions.  Yours  truly, 
"W.  T.  SHEEMAN,  Brigadier- General  commanding. 

After  the  war  was  over,  General  Thomas  J.  "Wood,  then  in 
command  of  the  district  of  Yicksburg,  prepared  a  statement  ad 
dressed  to  the  public,  describing  the  interview  with  the  Secretary 
of  "War,  which  he  calls  a  "  Council  of  "War."  I  did  not  then 
deem  it  necessary  to  renew  a  matter  which  had  been  swept  into 
oblivion  by  the  war  itself ;  but,  as  it  is  evidence  by  an  eye 
witness,  it  is  worthy  of  insertion  here. 

STATEMENT. 

On  the  llth  of  October,  1861,  the  writer,  who  had  been  personally  on 
mustering  duty  in  Indiana,  was  appointed  a  brigadier-general  of  volun 
teers,  and  ordered  to  report  to  General  Sherman,  then  in  command  of  the 
Department  of  the  Cumberland,  with  his  headquarters  at  Louisville,  having 
succeeded  General  Robert  Anderson.  When  the  writer  was  about  leaving 
Indianapolis  to  proceed  to  Louisville,  Mr.  Cameron,  returning  from  his 
famous  visit  of  inspection  to  General  Fremont's  department,  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  arrived  at  Indianapolis,  and  announced  his  intention  to  visit  Gen 
eral  Sherman. 

The  writer  was  invited  to  accompany  the  party  to  Louisville.  Taking 
the  early  morning  train  from  Indianapolis  to  Louisville  on  the  16th  of 
October,  1861,  the  party  arrived  in  Jefiersonville  shortly  after  mid-day. 
General  Sherman  met  the  party  in  Jeffersonville,  and  accompanied  it  to  the 
Gait  House,  in  Louisville,  the  hotel  at  which  he  was  stopping. 

During  the  afternoon  General  Sherman  informed  the  writer  that  a  council 
of  war  was  to  be  held  immediately  in  his  private  room  in  the  hotel,  and 
desired  him  to  be  present  at  the  council.  General  Sherman  and  the  writer 
proceeded  directly  to  the  room.  The  writer  entered  the  room  first,  and 
observed  in  it  Mr.  Cameron,  Adjutant-General  L.  Thomas,  and  some  other 
persons,  all  of  whose  names  he  did  not  know,  but  whom  he  recognized  as 
being  of  Mr.  Cameron's  party.  The  name  of  one  of  the  party  the  writer 
had  learned,  which  he  remembers  as  "Wilkinson,  or  "Wilkerson,  and  who 
he  understood  was  a  writer  for  the  New  York  Tribune  newspaper.  The 


1861-'62.]  BULL  KUff  TO  PADUCAH.  211 

Hon.  James  Guthrie  was  also  in  the  room,  having  been  invited,  on  account 
of  his  eminent  position  as  a  citizen  of  Kentucky,  his  high  civic  reputation, 
and  his  well-known  devotion  to  the  Union,  to  meet  the  Secretary  of  "War  in 
the  council.  When  General  Sherman  entered  the  room  he  closed  the  door, 
and  turned  the  key  in  the  lock. 

Before  entering  on  the  business  of  the  meeting,  General  Sherman  re 
marked  substantially:  "Mr.  Cameron,  we  have  met  here  to  discuss  mat 
ters  and  interchange  views  which  should  be  known  only  by  persons  high  in 
the  confidence  of  the  Government.  There  are  persons  present  whom  I  do 
not  know,  and  I  desire  to  know,  before  opening  the  business  of  the  council, 
whether  they  are  persons  who  may  be  properly  allowed  to  hear  the  views 
which  I  have  to  submit  to  you."  Mr.  Cameron  replied,  with  some  little  testi- 
ness  of  manner,  that  the  persons  referred  to  belonged  to  his  party,  and 
there  was  no  objection  to  their  knowing  whatever  might  be  communicated 
to  him. 

Certainly  the  legitimate  and  natural  conclusion  from  this  remark  of  Mr. 
Cameron's  was  that  whatever  views  might  be  submitted  by  General  Sher 
man  would  be  considered  under  the  protection  of  the  seal  of  secrecy,  and 
would  not  be  divulged  to  the  public  till  all  apprehension  of  injurious  con 
sequences  from  such  disclosure  had  passed.  And  it  may  be  remarked,  fur 
ther,  that  justice  to  General  Sherman  required  that  if,  at  any  future  time, 
his  conclusions  as  to  the  amount  of  force  necessary  to  conduct  the  operations 
committed  to  his  charge  should  be  made  public,  the  grounds  on  which  his 
conclusions  were  based  should  be  made  public  at  the  same  time. 

Mr.  Cameron  then  asked  General  Sherman  what  his  plans  were.  To  this 
General  Sherman  replied  that  he  had  no  plans;  that  no  sufficient  force 
had  been  placed  at  his  disposition  with  which  to  devise  any  plan  of  opera 
tions  ;  that,  before  a  commanding  general  could  project  a  plan  of  campaign, 
he  must  know  what  amount  of  force  he  would  have  to  operate  with. 

The  general  added  that  he  had  views  which  he  would  be  happy  to  sub 
mit  for  the  consideration  of  the  Secretary.  Mr.  Cameron  desired  to  hear 
General  Sherman's  views. 

General  Sherman  began  by  giving  his  opinion  of  the  people  of  Kentucky, 
and  the  then  condition  of  the  State.  He  remarked  that  he  believed  a  very 
large  majority  of  the  people  of  Kentucky  were  thoroughly  devoted  to  the 
Union,  and  loyal  to  the  Government,  and  that  the  Unionists  embraced  almost 
all  the  older  and  more  substantial  men  in  the  State ;  but,  unfortunately, 
there  was  no  organization  nor  arms  among  the  Union  men ;  that  the  rebel 
minority,  thoroughly  vindictive  in  its  sentiments,  was  organized  and  armed 
(this  having  been  done  in  advance  by  their  leaders),  and,  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  Federal  forces,  overawed  and  prevented  the  Union  men  from  organ 
izing  ;  that,  in  his  opinion,  if  Federal  protection  were  extended  throughout 
the  State  to  the  Union  men,  a  large  force  could  be  raised  for  the  service  of 
the  Government. 


212  BULL  EUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

General  Sherman  next  presented  a  resume  of  the  information  in  his 
possession  as  to  the  number  of  the  rebel  troops  in  Kentucky.  Commencing 
with  the  force  at  Columbus,  Kentucky,  the  reports  varied,  giving  the  strength 
from  ten  to  twenty  thousand.  It  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant-General 
Polk.  General  Sherman  fixed  it  at  the  lowest  estimate ;  say,  ten  thousand. 
The  force  at  Bowling  Green,  commanded  by  General  A.  S.  Johnston,  sup 
ported  by  Hardee,  Buckner,  and  others,  was  variously  estimated  at  from 
eighteen  to  thirty  thousand.  General  Sherman  estimated  this  force  at  the 
lowest  figures  given  to  it  by  his  information — eighteen  thousand. 

He  explained  that,  for  purposes  of  defense,  these  two  forces  ought,  owing 
to  the  facility  with  which  troops  might  be  transported  from  one  to  the 
other,  by  the  net- work  of  railroads  in  Middle  and  "West  Tennessee,  to  be 
considered  almost  as  one.  General  Sherman  remarked,  also,  on  the  facility 
with  which  reinforcements  could  be  transported  by  railroad  to  Bowling 
Green,  from  the  other  rebellious  States. 

The  third  organized  body  of  rebel  troops  was  in  Eastern  Kentucky,  under 
General  Zollicoffer,  estimated,  according  to  the  most  reliable  information,  at 
six  thousand  men.  This  force  threatened  a  descent,  if  unrestrained,  on  the 
blue-grass  region  of  Kentucky,  including  the  cities  of  Lexington,  and  Frank 
fort,  the  capital  of  the  .State ;  and  if  successful  in  its  primary  movements, 
as  it  would  gather  head  as  it  advanced,  might  endanger  the  safety  of  Cin 
cinnati. 

General  Sherman  said  that  the  information  in  his  possession  indicated 
an  intention,  on  the  part  of  the  rebels,  of  a  general  and  grand  advance 
toward  the  Ohio  Eiver.  He  further  expressed  the  opinion  that,  if  such  ad 
vance  should  be  made,  and  not  checked,  the  rebel  force  would  be  swollen  by 
at  least  twenty  thousand  recruits  from  the  disloyalists  in  Kentucky.  His  low 
computation  of  the  organized  rebel  soldiers  then  in  Kentucky  fixed  the 
strength  at  about  thirty-five  thousand.  Add  twenty  thousand  for  reen 
forcements  gained  in  Kentucky,  to  say  nothing  of  troops  drawn  from  other 
rebel  States,  and  the  effective  rebel  force  in  the  State,  at  a  low  estimate, 
would  be  fifty-five  thousand  men. 

General  Sherman  explained  forcibly  how  largely  the  difficulties  of  sup 
pressing  the  rebellion  would  be  enhanced,  if  the  [rebels  should  be  allowed 
to  plant  themselves  firmly,  with  strong  fortifications,  at  commanding  points 
on  the  Ohio  Kiver.  It  would  be  facile  for  them  to  carry  the  war  thence 
into  the  loyal  States  north  of  the  river. 

To  resist  an  advance  of  the  rebels,  General  Sherman  stated  that  he  did 
not  have  at  that  time  in  Kentucky  more  than  some  twelve  to  fourteen 
thousand  effective  men.  The  bulk  of  this  force  was  posted  at  camp  Nolin, 
on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railway,  fifty  miles  south  of  Louisville.  A 
part  of  it  was  in  Eastern  Kentucky,  under  General  George  H.  Thomas,  and 
a  very  small  force  was  in  the  lower  valley  of  Green  River. 


1861-'62.j  BULL  RUtf  TO  PADUOAH.  213 

This  disposition  of  the  force  had  been  made  for  the  double  purpose  of 
watching  and  checking  the  rebels,  and  protecting  the  raising  and  organiza 
tion  of  troops  among  the  Union  men  of  Kentucky. 

Having  explained  the  situation  from  the  defensive  point  of  view,  General 
Sherman  proceeded  to  consider  it  from  the  offensive  stand-point.  The  Gov 
ernment  had  undertaken  to  suppress  the  rebellion ;  the  onus  faciendi,  there 
fore,  rested  on  the  Government.  The  rebellion  could  never  be  put  down, 
the  authority  of  the  paramount  Government  asserted,  and  the  union  of  the 
States  declared  perpetual,  by  force  of  arms,  by  maintaining  the  defensive ; 
to  accomplish  these  grand  desiderata,  it  was  absolutely  necessary  the  Gov 
ernment  should  adopt,  and  maintain  until  the  rebellion  was  crushed,  the 
offensive. 

For  the  purpose  of  expelling  the  rebels  from  Kentucky,  General  Sher 
man  said  that  at  least  sixty  thousand  soldiers  were  necessary.  Considering 
that  the  means  of  accomplishment  must  always  be  proportioned  to  the-  end 
to  be  achieved,  and  bearing  in  mind  the  array  of  rebel  force  then  in  Ken 
tucky,  every  sensible  man  must  admit  that  the  estimate  of  the  force  given 
by  General  Sherman,  for  driving  the  rebels  out  of  the  State,  and  reestab 
lishing  and  maintaining  the  authority  of  the  Government,  was  a  very  low 
one.  The  truth  is  that,  before  the  rebels  were  driven  from  Kentucky, 
many  more  than  sixty  thousand  soldiers  were  sent  into  the  State. 

Ascending  from  the  consideration  of  the  narrow  question  of  the  politi 
cal  and  military  situation  in  Kentucky,  and  the  extent  of  force  necessary 
to  redeem  the  State  from  rebel  thraldom,  forecasting  in  his  sagacious  intel 
lect  the  grand  and  daring  operations  which,  three  years  afterward,  he  re 
alized  in  a  campaign,  taken  in  its  entirety,  without  a  parallel  in  modern 
times,  -General  Sherman  expressed  the  opinion  that,  to  carry  the  war  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  destroy  all  armed  opposition  to  the  Goverment,  in  the 
entire  Mississippi  Valley,  at  least  two  hundred  thousand  troops  were  abso 
lutely  requisite. 

So  soon  as  General  Sherman  had  concluded  the  expression  of  his  views, 
Mr.  Cameron  asked,  with  much  warmth  and  apparent  irritation,  "  "Where  do 
you  suppose,  General  Sherman,  all  this  force  is  to  come  from  ? "  General 
Sherman  replied  that  he  did  not  know ;  that  it  was  not  his  duty  to  raise, 
organize,  and  put  the  necessary  military  force  into  the  field ;  that  duty  per 
tained  to  the  War  Department.  His  duty  was  to  organize  campaigns  and 
command  the  troops  after  they  had  been  put  into  the  field. 

At  this  point  of  the  proceedings,  General  Sherman  suggested  that  it 
might  be  agreeable  to  the  Secretary  to  hear  the  views  of  Mr.  Guthrie. 
Thus  appealed  to,  Mr.  Guthrie  said  he  did  not  consider  himself,  being  a 
civilian,  competent  to  give  an  opinion  as  to  the  extent  of  force  necessary 
to  carry  the  war  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  but,  being  well  informed  of  the 
condition  of  things  in  Kentucky,  he  indorsed  fully  General  Sherman's 
opinion  of  the  force  required  to  drive  the  rebels  out  of  the  State. 


214  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

The  foregoing  is  a  circumstantial  account  of  the  deliberations  of  the 
council  that  were  of  any  importance. 

A  good  deal  of  desultory  conversation  followed,  on  immaterial  matters ; 
and  some  orders  were  issued  by  telegraph,  by  the  Secretary  of  "War,  for 
some  small  reinforcements  to  be  sent  to  Kentucky  immediately,  from  Penn 
sylvania  and  Indiana. 

A  short  time  after  the  council  was  held — the  exact  time  is  not  now  re 
membered  by  the  writer — an  imperfect  narrative  of  it  appeared  in  the  New 
York  Tribune.  This  account  announced  to  the  public  the  conclusions 
uttered  by  General  Sherman  in  the  council,  without  giving  the  reasons  on 
which  his  conclusions  were  based.  The  unfairness  of  this  course  to  General 
Sherman  needs  no  comment.  All  military  men  were  shocked  by  the  gross 
breach  of  faith  which  had  been  committed. 

TH.  J.  WOOD,  Major- General  Volunteers. 
VIOKSBUBG,  MISSISSIPPI,  August  24, 1866. 

Brigadier-General  Don  Carlos  Buell  arrived  at  Louisville 
about  the  middle  of  November,  with  orders  to  relieve  me,  and  I 
was  transferred  for  duty  to  the  Department  of  the  Missouri,  and 
ordered  to  report  in  person  to  Major-General  H.  ~W.  Halleck 
at  St.  Louis.  I  accompanied  General  Buell  to  the  camp  at 
Nolin,  where  he  reviewed  and  inspected  the  camp  and  troops 
under  the  command  of  General  A.  McD.  McCook,  and  on 
our  way  back  General  Buell  inspected  the  regiment  of  Hazzard 
at  Elizabethtown.  I  then  turned  over  my  command  to  him, 
and  took  my  departure  for  St.  Louis. 

At  the  time  I  was  so  relieved  I  thought,  of  course,  it  was 
done  in  fulfillment  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  promise  to  me,  and  as  a 
necessary  result  of  my  repeated  demand  for  the  fulfillment  of 
that  promise;  but  I  saw  and  felt,  and  was  of  course  deeply 
moved  to  observe,  the  manifest  belief  that  there  was  more  or 
less  of  truth  in  the  rumor  that  the  cares,  perplexities,  and  anxie 
ty  of  the  situation  had  unbalanced  my  judgment  and  mind. 
Still,  on  a  review  of  the  only  official  documents  before  the  War 
Department  at  the  time,  it  was  cruel  for  a  Secretary  of  War  to 
give  a  tacit  credence  to  a  rumor  which  probably  started  without 
his  wish  or  intention,  yet  through  his  instrumentality.  Of  course 
I  could  not  deny  the  fact,  and  had  to  submit  to  all  its  painful 
consequences  for  months ;  and,  moreover,  I  could  not  hide  from 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUtf  TO  PADUCAH.  215 

myself  that  many  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  subsequently  placed 
under  my  command  looked  at  me  askance  and  with  suspicion. 
Indeed,  it  was  not  until  the  following  April  that  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  gave  me  personally  the  chance  to  redeem  my  good  name. 

On  reaching  St.  Louis  and  reporting  to  General  Halleck,  I 
was  received  kindly,  and  was  shortly  afterward  (viz.,  Novem 
ber  23d)  sent  up  to  Sedalia  to  inspect  the  camp  there,  and  the 
troops  located  along  the  road  back  to  Jefferson  City,  and  I  was 
ordered  to  assume  command  in  a  certain  contingency.  I  found 
General  Steele  at  Sedalia  with  his  regiments  scattered  about 
loosely;  and  General  Pope  at  Otterville,  twenty  miles  back, 
with  no  concert  between  them.  The  rebel  general,  Sterling 
Price,  had  his  forces  down  about  Osceola  and  Warsaw.  I  advised 
General  Halleck  to  collect  the  whole  of  his  men  into  one  camp 
on  the  La  Mine  River,  near  Georgetown,  to  put  them  into 
brigades  and  divisions,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  be  handled,  and  I 
gave  some  preliminary  orders  looking  to  that  end.  But  the 
newspapers  kept  harping  on  my  insanity  and  paralyzed  .my 
efforts.  In  spite  of  myself,  they  tortured  from  me  some  words 
and  acts  of  imprudence.  General  Halleck  telegraphed  me  on 
November  26th :  "  Unless  telegraph-lines  are  interrupted,  make 
no  movement  of  troops  without  orders;"  and  on  November 
29th:  "No  forward  movement  of  troops  on  Osceola  will  be 
made ;  only  strong  reconnoitring-parties  will  be  sent  out  in  the 
supposed  direction  of  the  enemy ;  the  bulk  of  the  troops  being 
held  in  position  till  more  reliable  information  is  obtained." 

About  the  same  time  I  received  the  following  dispatch : 

HEADQTJAETEES,  ST.  LOTTIS,  MISSOCBI,  } 
November  28, 1861.  f 

Brigadier- General  SHERMAN,  Sedalia: 

•  Mrs.  Sherman  is  here.     General  Halleck  is  satisfied,  from  reports  of 
scouts  received  here,  that  no  attack  on  Sedalia  is  intended.   You  will  there 
fore  return  to  this  city,  and  report  your  observations  on  the  condition  of 
the  troops  you  have  examined.    Please  telegraph  when  you  will  leave. 
SCHUYLEE  HAMILTON,  Brigadier-  General  and  Aide-de-  Camp. 

I  accordingly  returned  to  St.  Louis,  where  I  found  Mrs. 
Sherman,  naturally  and  properly  distressed  at  the  continued  and 


216  BULL  RUtf  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

reiterated  reports  of  the  newspapers  of  my  insanity,  and  she  had 
come  from  Lancaster  to  see  me.  This  recall  from  Sedalia 
simply  swelled  the  cry.  It  was  alleged  that  I  was  recalled  by 
reason  of  something  foolish  I  had  done  at  Sedalia,  though  in 
fact  I  had  done  absolutely  nothing,  except  to  recommend  what 
was  done  immediately  thereafter  on  the  advice  of  Colonel  Mc- 
Pherson,  on  a  subsequent  inspection.  Seeing  and  realizing  that 
my  efforts  were  useless,  I  concluded  to  ask  for  a  twenty  days' 
leave  of  absence,  to  accompany  Mrs.  Sherman  to  our  home  in 
Lancaster,  and  to  allow  the  storm  to  blow  over  somewhat.  It 
also  happened  to  be  mid-winter,  when  nothing  was  doing ;  so 
Mrs.  Sherman  and  I  returned  to  Lancaster,  where  I  was  born, 
and  where  I  supposed  I  was  better  known  and  appreciated. 

The  newspapers  kept  up  their  game  as  though  instigated  by 
malice,  and  chief  among  them  was  the  Cincinnati  Commercial, 
whose  editor,  Halsted,  was  generally  believed  to  be  an  honorable 
man.  P.  B.  Ewing,  Esq.,  being  in  Cincinnati,  saw  him  and 
asked  him  why  he,  who  certainly  knew  better,  would  reiterate 
such  a  damaging  slander.  He  answered,  quite  cavalierly,  that 
it  was  one  of  the  news-items  of  the  day,  and  he  had  to  keep  up 
with  the  time;  but  he  would  be  most  happy  to  publish  any 
correction  I  might  make,  as  though  I  could  deny  such  a  mali 
cious  piece  of  scandal  affecting  myself.  On  the  12th  of  Novem 
ber  I  had  occasion  to  write  to  General  Halleck,  and  I  have  a 
copy  of  his  letter  in  answer : 

ST.  Louis,  December  18, 1861. 
Brigadier-  General  "W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Lancaster,  Ohio. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  Yours  of  the  12th  was  received  a  day  or  two  ago, 
but  was  mislaid  for  the  moment  among  private  papers,  or  I  should  have  an 
swered  it  sooner.  The  newspaper  attacks  are  certainly  shameless  and 
scandalous,  but  I  cannot  agree  with  you,  that  they  have  us  in  their  power 
"to  destroy  us  as  they  please."  I  certainly  get  my  share  of  abuse,  but  it 
will  not  disturb  me. 

Your  movement  of  the  troops  was  not  countermanded  by  me  because  I 
thought  it  an  unwise  one  in  itself,  but  because  I  was  not  then  ready  for  it. 
I  had  better  information  of  Price's  movements  than  you  had,  and  I  had  no 
apprehension  of  an  attack.  I  intended  to  concentrate  the  forces  on  that 
line,  but  I  wished  the  movement  delayed  until  I  could  determine  on  a  better 
position. 


1861-'62.]  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  217 

After  receiving  Lieutenant-Colonel  McPherson's  report,  I  made  precise 
ly  the  location  you  had  ordered.  I  was  desirous  at  the  time  not  to  prevent 
the  advance  of  Price  by  any  movement  on  our  part,  hoping  that  he  would 
move  on  Lexington ;  hut  finding  that  he  had  determined  to  remain  at  Os- 
ceola  for  some  time  at  least,  I  made  the  movement  you  proposed.  As  you 
could  not  know  my  plans,  you  and  others  may  have  misconstrued  the 
reason  of  my  countermanding  your  orders.  .  .  . 

I  hope  to  see  you  well  enough  for  duty  soon.  Our  organization  goes  on 
slowly,  but  we  will  effect  it  in  time.  Yours  truly, 

H.  "W.  HALLECK. 

And  subsequently,  in  a  letter  to  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing,  in 
answer  to  some  inquiries  involving  the  same  general  subject, 
General  Hal  leek  wrote  as  follows : 

ST.  Lotns,  February  15,  1862. 
Hon.  THOMAS  EWIXG,  Lancaster,  Ohio. 

DEAE  SIB  :  Your  note  of  the  13th,  and  one  of  this  date,  from  Mr.  Sher 
man,  in  relation  to  Brigadier-General  Sherman's  having  being  relieved  from 
command  in  Sedalia,  in  November  last,  are  just  received.  General  Sherman 
was  not  put  in  command  at  Sedalia ;  he  was  authorized  to  assume  it,  and 
did  so  for  a  day  or  two.  He  did  not  know  my  plans,  and  his  movement  of 
troops  did  not  accord  with  them.  I  therefore  directed  him  to  leave  them 
as  they  were,  and  report  here  the  result  of  his  inspection,  for  which  purpose 
he  had  been  ordered  there. 

No  telegram  or  dispatch  of  any  kind  was  sent  by  me,  or  by  any  one  with 
my  knowledge  or  authority,  in  relation  to  it.  After  his  return  here,  I  gave 
him  a  leave  of  absence  of  twenty  days,  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  As  I 
was  then  pressing  General  McClellan  for  more  officers,  I  deemed  it  necessary 
to  explain  why  I  did  so.  I  used  these  words:  "I  am  satisfied  that  General 
Sherman's  physical  and  mental  system  is  so  completely  broken  by  labor  and 
care  as  to  render  him,  for  the  present,  unfit  for  duty ;  perhaps  a  few  weeks' 
rest  may  restore  him."  This  was  the  only  communication  I  made  ,on  the 
subject.  On  no  occasion  have  I  ever  expressed  an  opinion  that  his  mind  was 
affected  otherwise  than  by  over-exertion ;  to  have  said  so  would  have  done 
him  the  greatest  injustice. 

After  General  Sherman  returned  from  his  short  leave,  1  found  that  his 
health  was  nearly  restored,  and  I  placed  him  temporarily  in  command  of 
the  camp  of  instruction,  numbering  over  fifteen  thousand  men.  I  then 
wrote  to  General  McClellan  that  he  would  soon  be  able  to  again  take  the 
field.  I  gave  General  Sherman  a  copy  of  my  letter.  This  is  the  total  of  my 
correspondence  on  the  subject.  As  evidence  that  I  have  every  confidence  in 
General  Sherman,  I  have  placed  him  in  command  of  "Western  Kentucky — a 
command  only  second  in  importance  in  this  department.  As  soon  as  di- 


K 

'218  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUCAH.  [1861-'62. 

visions  and  columns  can  be  organized,  I  propose  to  send  him  into  the  field 
where  he  can  render  most  efficient  service.  I  have  seen  newspaper  squibs 
charging  him  with  being  "  crazy,"  etc.  This  is  the  grossest  injustice ;  I  do 
not,  however,  consider  such  attacks  worthy  of  notice.  The  best  answer  is 
General  Sherman's  present  position,  and  the  valuable  services  he  is  ren 
dering  to  the  country.  I  have  the  fullest  confidence  in  him. 
Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

H.  W.  HALLEOK,  Major- General. 

On  returning  to  St.  Louis,  on  the  expiration  of  my  leave  of 
absence,  I  found  that  General  Halleck  was  beginning  to  move 
his  troops :  one  part,  under  General  U.  S.  Grant,  up  the  Tennes 
see  River ;  and  another  part,  under  General  S.  R.  Curtis,  in  the 
direction  of  Springfield,  Missouri.  General  Grant  was  then  at 
Paducah,  and  General  Curtis  was  under  orders  for  Rolla.  I 
was  ordered  to  take  Curtis's  place  in  command  of  the  camp  of 
instruction,  at  Benton  Barracks,  on  the  ground  back  of  North 
St.  Louis,  -now  used  as  the  Fair  Grounds,  by  the  following 
order : 

[Special  Order  No.  87]. 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  or  THE  MISSOURI,  I 
ST.  Louis,  December  23, 1861.  J 

[EXTRACT.] 

Brigadier-General  "W.  T.  Sherman,  United  States  Volunteers,  is  hereby 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  camp  of  instruction  and  post  of  Benton 
Barracks.  He  will  have  every  armed  regiment  and  company  in  his  command 
ready  for  service  at  a  moment's  warning,  and  will  notify  all  concerned  that, 
when  marching  orders  are  received,  it  is  expected  that  they  will  be  instantly 
obeyed ;  no  excuses  for  delay  will  be  admitted.  General  Sherman  will  im 
mediately  report  to  these  headquarters  what  regiments  and  companies,  at 
Benton  Barracks,  are  ready  for  the  field. 

By  order  of  Major-General  Halleck, 

J.  0.  KELTEN,  Assistant  Adjutant-  General. 

I  immediately  assumed  command,  and  found,  in  the  build 
ing  constructed  for  the  commanding  officer,  Brigadier-General 
Strong,  and  the  family  of  a  captain  of  Iowa  cavalry,  with  whom 
we  boarded.  Major  Curtis,  son  of  General  Curtis,  was  the 
adjutant-general,  but  was  soon  relieved  by  Captain  J.  H. 
Hammond,  who  was  appointed  assistant  adjutant-general,  and 
assigned  to  duty  with  me. 


1861-'62.]  BULL  BUN  TO  PADUCAH.  219 

Brigadier-General  Hurlbut  was  also  there,  and  about  a  dozen 
regiments  of  infantry  and  cavalry.  I  at  once  gave  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  post  my  personal  attention,  got  the  regiments 
in  as  good  order  as  possible,  kept  up  communication  with  Gen 
eral  Halleck's  headquarters  by  telegraph,  and,  when  orders 
came  for  the  movement  of  any  regiment  or  detachment,  it 
moved  instantly.  The  winter  was  very  wet,  and  the  ground 
badly  drained.  The  quarters  had  been  erected  by  General  Fre 
mont,  under  contract ;  they  were  mere  shells,  but  well  arranged 
for  a  camp,  embracing  the  Fair  Grounds,  and  some  forty  acres 
of  flat  ground  west  of  it.  I  instituted  drills,  and  was  specially 
ordered  by  General  Halleck  to  watch  Generals  Hurlbut  and 
Strong,  and  report  as  to  their  fitness  for  their  commissions  as 
brigadier-generals.  I  had  known  Hurlbut  as  a  young  lawyer, 
in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  before  the  Mexican  War,  at 
which  time  he  took  a  special  interest  in  military  matters,  and  I 
found  him  far  above  the  average  in  the  knowledge  of  regi 
mental  and  brigade  drill,  and  so  reported.  General  Strong  had 
been  a  merchant,  and  he  told  me  that  he  never  professed  to  be 
a  soldier,  but  had  been  urged  on  the  Secretary  of  "War  for  the 
commission  of  a  brigadier-general,  with  the  expectation  of  be 
coming  quartermaster  or  commissary-general.  He  was  a  good, 
kind-hearted  gentleman,  boiling  over  with  patriotism  and  zeal. 
I  advised  him  what  to  read  and  study,  was  considerably  amused 
at  his  receiving  instruction  from  a  young  lieutenant  who  knew 
the  company  and  battalion  drill,  and  could  hear  him  practise  in 
his  room  the  words  of  command,  and  tone  of  voice,  "  Break 
from  the  right,  to  march  to  the  left ! "  "  Battalion,  halt  1 "  "  For 
ward  into  line ! "  etc.  Of  course  I  made  a  favorable  report  in 
his  case.  Among  the  infantry  and  cavalry  colonels  were  some 
who  afterward  rose  to  distinction — David  Stuart,  Gordon 
Granger,  Bussey,  etc.,  etc. 

Though  it  was  mid-winter,  General  Halleck  was  pushing  his 
preparations  most  vigorously,  and  surely  he  brought  order  out 
of  chaos  in  St.  Louis  with  commendable  energy.  I  remember, 
one  night,  sitting  in  his  room,  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Planters' 
House,  with  him  and  General  Cullum,  his  chief  of  staff,  talking 


220  BULL  KUtf  TO  PADUOAH.  [1861-'62. 

of  things  generally,  and  the  subject  then  was  of  the  much-talked- 
of  "  advance,"  as  soon  as  the  season  would  permit.  Most  people 
urged  the  movement  down  the  Mississippi  River ;  but  Generals 
Polk  and  Pillow  had  a  large  rebel  force,  with  heavy  guns  in  a 
very  strong  position,  at  Columbus,  Kentucky,  about  eighteen 
miles  below  Cairo.  Commodore  Foote  had  his  gunboat  fleet  at 
Cairo ;  and  General  TJ.  S.  Grant,  who  commanded  the  district, 
was  collecting  a  large  force  at  Paducah,  Cairo,  and  Bird's 
Point.  General  Halleck  had  a  map  on  his  table,  with  a  large 
pencil  in  his  hand,  and  asked,  "Where  is  the  rebel  line?" 
Cullum  drew  the  pencil  through  Bowling  Green,  Forts  Donel- 
son  and  Henry,  and  Columbus,  Kentucky.  "  That  is  their 
line,"  said  Halleck.  "  Now,  where  is  the  proper  place  to  break 
it?"  And  either  Cullum  or  I  said,  "Naturally  the  centre." 
Halleck  drew  a  line  perpendicular  to  the  other,  near  its  middle, 
and  it  coincided  nearly  with  the  general  course  of  the  Ten 
nessee  Eiver ;  and  he  said,  "  That's  the  true  line  of  operations." 
This  occurred  more  than  a  month  before  General  Grant  began 
the  movement,  and,  as  he  was  subject  to  General  Halleck's 
orders,  I  have  always  given  Halleck  the  full  credit  for  that 
movement,  which  was  skillful,  successful,  and  extremely  rich 
in  military  results ;  indeed,  it  was  the  first  real  success  on 
our  side  in  the  civil  war.  The  movement  up  the  Tennessee 
began  about  the  1st  of  February,  and  Fort  Henry  was  captured 
by  the  joint  action  of  the  navy  under  Commodore  Foote,  and 
the  land-forces  under  General  Grant,  on  the  6th  of  February, 
1862.  About  the  same  time,  General  S.  R.  Curtis  had  moved 
forward  from  Holla,  and,  on  the  8th  of  March,  defeated  the 
rebels  under  McCulloch,  Yan  Dorn,  and  Price,  at  Pea  Ridge. 

As  soon  as  Fort  Henry  fell,  General  Grant  marched  straight 
across  to  Fort  Donelson,  on  the  Cumberland  River,  invested  the 
place,  and,  as  soon  as  the  gunboats  had  come  round  from  the 
Tennessee,  and  had  bombarded  the  water-front,  he  assaulted ; 
whereupon  Buckner  surrendered  the  garrison  of  twelve  thousand 
men ;  Pillow  and  ex-Secretary  of  War  General  Floyd  having 
personally  escaped  across  the  river  at  night,  occasioning  a  good 
deal  of  fun  and  criticism  at  their  expense. 


1861-'62.]  BULL  EUN  TO  PADUCAH.  221 

Before  the  fall  of  Donelson,  but  after  that  of  Henry,  I  re 
ceived,  at  Benton  Barracks,  the  following  orders : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  MISSOURI,  j 
ST.  Louis,  February  13, 1862.         J 

Brigadier- General  SHEBMAN,  Benton  Barracks: 

You  will  immediately  repair  to  Paducah,  Kentucky,  and  assume  com 
mand  of  that  post.  Brigadier- General  Hurlbut  will  accompany  you.  The 
command  of  Benton  Barracks  will  be  turned  over  to  General  Strong. 

H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major- General. 

I  started  for  Paducah  the  same  day,  and  think  that  General 
Cullum  went  with  me  to  Cairo  ;  General  Halleck's  purpose  be 
ing  to  push  forward  the  operations  up  the  Tennessee  River  with 
unusual  vigor.  On  reaching  Paducah,  I  found  this  dispatch  : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  MISSOURI,  ) 
ST.  Louis,  February  15,  1862.     ) 

Brigadier-  General  SHEBMAN,  Paducah,  Kentucky  : 

Send  General  Grant  every  thing  you  can  spare  from  Paducah  and  Smith- 
land  ;  also  General  Hurlbut. 

Bowling  Green  has  been  evacuated  entirely. 

H.  W.  H  ALLEGE:,  Major- General. 


The  next  day  brought  us  news  of  the  surrender  of  Buckner, 
and  probably  at  no  time  during  the  war  did  we  all  feel  so  heavy 
a  weight  raised  from  our  breasts,  or  so  thankful  for  a  most 
fruitful  series  of  victories.  They  at  once  gave  Generals  Halleck, 
Grant,  and  C.  F.  Smith,  great  fame.  Of  course,  the  rebels  let 
go  their  whole  line,  and  fell  back  on  Nashville  and  Island  No. 
Ten,  and  to  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroad.  Everybody 
was  anxious  to  help.  Boats  passed  up  and  down  constantly, 
and  very  soon  arrived  the  rebel  prisoners  from  Donelson.  I 
saw  General  Buckner  on  the  boat,  he  seemed  self-sufficient,  and 
thought  their  loss  was  not  really  so  serious  to  their  cause  as 
we  did. 

From  the  time  I  had  left  Kentucky,  General  Buell  had  really 
made  no  substantial  progress,  though  strongly  ree'nf  orced  beyond 


222  BULL  RUN  TO  PADUOAH.  [1861-'62. 

even  what  I  had  asked  for.  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  had 
remained  at  Bowling  Green  until  his  line  was  broken  at  Henry 
and  Donelson,  when  he  let  go  Bowling  Green  and  fell  back 
hastily  to  Nashville ;  and,  on  Buell's  approach,  he  did  not  even 
tarry  there,  but  continued  his  retreat  southward. 


CHAPTEE    IX. 

BATTLE   OF   SHILOH. 
MAECH  AND  APKIL,    1862. 

IN  the  middle  of  February,  1862,  Major-General  Halleck 
commanded  all  the  armies  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  from 
his  headquarters  in  St.  Louis.  These  were,  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio,  Major-General  Buell,  in  Kentucky;  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  Major-General  Grant,  at  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson ; 
and  General  S.  R.  Curtis,  in  Southern  Missouri.  He  posted  his 
chief  of  staff,  General  Cullum,  at  Cairo,  and  me  at  Paducah, 
chiefly  to  expedite  and  facilitate  the  important  operations  then 
in  progress  up  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  Rivers. 

Fort  Donelson  surrendered  to  General  Grant  on  the  16th  of 
February,  and  there  must  have  been  a  good  deal  of  confusion 
resulting  from  the  necessary  care  of  the  wounded,  and  disposi 
tion  of  prisoners,  common  to  all  such  occasions,  and  there  was 
a  real  difficulty  in  communicating  between  St.  Louis  and  Fort 
Donelson. 

General  Buell  had  also  followed  up  the  rebel  army,  which 
had  retreated  hastily  from  Bowling  Green  to  and  through  Nash 
ville,  a  city  of  so  much  importance  to  the  South,  that  it  was  at 
one  time  proposed  as  its  capital.  Both  Generals  Grant  and  Buell 
looked  to  its  capture  as  an  event  of  great  importance.  On  the 
21st  General  Grant  sent  General  Smith  with  his  division  to 
Clarksville,  fifty  miles  above  Donelson,  toward  Nashville,  and 
on  the  27th  went  himself  to  Nashville  to  meet  and  confer  with 
General  Buell,  but  returned  to  Donelson  the  next  day. 


224  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

Meantime,  General  Halleck  at  St.  Louis  must  have  felt  that 
his  armies  were  getting  away  from  him,  and  began  to  send  dis 
patches  to  me  at  Paducah,  to  be  forwarded  by  boat,  or  by  a 
rickety  telegraph-line  up  to  Fort  Henry,  which  lay  entirely  in  a 
hostile  country,  and  was  consequently  always  out  of  repair. 
On  the  1st  of  March  I  received  the  following  dispatch,  and  for 
warded  it  to  General  Grant,  both  by  the  telegraph  and  boat : 

ST.  Louis,  March  1,  1862. 
To  General  GRANT,  Fort  Henry : 

Transports  will  be  sent  you  as  soon  as  possible,  to  move  your  column  up 
the  Tennessee  Kiver.  The  main  object  of  this  expedition  will  be  to  de 
stroy  the  railroad-bridge  over  Bear  Creek,  near  Eastport,  Mississippi ;  and 
also  the  railroad  connections  at  Corinth,  Jackson,  and  Humboldt.  It  is 
thought  best  that  these  objects  be  attempted  in  the  order  named.  Strong 
detachments  of  cavalry  and  light  artillery,  supported  by  infantry,  may  by 
rapid  movements  reach  these  points  from  the  river,  without  any  serious 
opposition. 

Avoid  any  general  engagements  with  strong  forces.  It  will  be  better 
to  retreat  than  to  risk  a  general  battle.  This  should  be  strongly  impressed 
on  the  officers  sent  with  expeditions  from  the  river.  General  C.  F.  Smith 
or  some  very  discreet  officer  should  be  selected  for  such  commands.  Hav 
ing  accomplished  these  objects,  or  such  of  them  as  may  be  practicable,  you 
will  return  to  Danville,  and  move  on  Paris. 

Perhaps  the  troops  sent  to  Jackson  and  Humboldt  can  reach  Paris  by 
land  as  easily  as  to  return  to  the  transports.  This  must  depend  on  the 
character  of  the  roads  and  the  position  of  the  enemy.  All  telegraphic 
lines  which  can  be  reached  must  be  cut.  The  gunboats  will  accompany  the 
transports  for  their  protection.  Any  loyal  Tennesseeans  who  desire  it, 
may  be  enlisted  and  supplied  with  arms.  Competent  officers  should  be 
left  to  command  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  in  your  absence.  I  have  in 
dicated  in  general  terms  the  object  of  this. 

H.  "W.  HALLECK,  Major- General. 

Again  on  the  2d : 

CAIRO,  March  2, 1862. 
To  General  GEANT  : 

General  Halleck,  February  25th,  telegraphs  me :  "  General  Grant  will 
send  no  more  forces  to  Clarksville.  General  Smith's  division  will  come  to 
Fort  Henry,  or  a  point  higher  up  on  the  Tennessee  River ;  transports  will 
also  be  collected  at  Paducah.  Two  gunboats  in  Tennessee  River  with 
Grant.  General  Grant  will  immediately  have  small  garrisons  detailed  for 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  and  all  other  forces  made  ready  for  the  field." 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  225 

From  your  letter  of  the  28th,  I  learn  you  were  at  Fort  Donelson,  and 
General  Smith  at  Nashville,  from  which  I  infer  you  could  not  have  received 
orders.  Halleck's  telegram  of  last  night  says :  "Who  sent  Smith's  division 
to  Nashville  ?  I  ordered  it  across  to  the  Tennessee,  where  they  are  wanted 
immediately.  Order  them  back.  Send  all  spare  transports  up  Tennessee  to 
General  Grant."  Evidently  the  general  supposes  you  to  be  on  the  Tennes 
see.  I  am  sending  all  the  transports  I  can  find  for  you,  reporting  to  Gen 
eral  Sherman  for  orders  to  go  up  the  Cumberland  for  you,  or,  if  you  march 
across  to  Fort  Henry,  then  to  send  them  up  the  Tennessee. 

J.  W.  CULLUM,  Brigadier- General. 

On  the  4th  came  this  dispatch : 

ST.  Louis,  March  4, 1862. 
To  Major-  General  U.  S.  GRANT  : 

You  will  place  Major-General  0.  F.  Smith  in  command  of  expedition, 
and  remain  yourself  at  Fort  Henry.  Why  do  you  not  obey  my  orders  to 
report  strength  and  positions  of  your  command? 

H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major- General. 

Halleck  was  evidently  working  himself  into  a  passion,  but  he 
was  too  far  from  the  seat  of  war  to  make  due  allowance  for  the 
actual  state  of  facts.  General  Grant  had  done  so  much,  that 
General  Halleck  should  have  been  patient.  Meantime,  at  Padu- 
cah,  I  was  busy  sending  boats  in  every  direction — some  under 
the  orders  of  General  Halleck,  others  of  General  Cullum; 
others  for  General  Grant,  and  still  others  for  General  Buell  at 
Nashville ;  and  at  the  same  time  I  was  organizing  out  of  the 
new  troops  that  were  arriving  at  Paducah  a  division  for  myself 
when  allowed  to  take  the  field,  which  I  had  been  promised  by 
General  Halleck.  His  purpose  was  evidently  to  operate  up  the 
Tennessee  River,  to  break  up  Bear  Creek  Bridge  and  the  rail 
road  communications  between  the  Mississippi  and  Tennessee 
Rivers,  and  no  doubt  he  was  provoked  that  Generals  Grant  and 
Smith  had  turned  aside  to  Nashville.  In  the  mean  time  several 
of  the  gunboats,  under  Captain  Phelps,  United  States  Navy,  had 
gone  up  the  Tennessee  as  far  as  Florence,  and  on  their  return 
had  reported  a  strong  Union  feeling  among  the  people  along 
the  river.  On  the  10th  of  March,  having  received  the  necessary 
orders  from  General  Halleck,  I  embarked  my  division  at  Padu- 
15 


226  .  BATTLE   OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

cah.  It  was  composed  of  four  brigades.  The  First,  commanded 
•by  Colonel  S.  G.  Hicks,  was  composed  of  the  Fortieth  Illinois, 
Forty-sixth  Ohio,  and  Morton's  Indiana  Battery,  on  the  boats 
Sallie  List,  Golden  Gate,  J.  B.  Adams,  and  Lancaster. 

The  Second  Brigade,  Colonel  D.  Stuart,  was  composed  of 
the"  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  Seventy-first  Ohio,  and  Fifty-fourth 
Ohio ;  embarked  on  the  Hannibal,  Universe,  Hazel  Dell,  Cheese- 
man,  and  Prairie  Eose. 

The  Third  Brigade,  Colonel  Hildebrand,  was  composed  of 
the  Seventy-seventh  Ohio,  Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  and  Fifty-third 
Ohio ;  embarked  on  the  Poland,  Anglo-Saxon,  Ohio  No.  Three, 
and  Continental. 

The  Fourth  Brigade,  Colonel  Buckland,  was  composed  of 
the  Seventy-second  Ohio,  Forty-eighth  Ohio,  and  Seventieth 
Ohio ;  embarked  on  the  Empress,  Baltic,  Shenango,  and  Ma- 
rengo. 

"We  steamed  up  to  Fort  Henry,  the  river  being  high  and  in 
splendid  order.  There  I  reported  in  person  to  General  C.  F. 
Smith,  and  by  him  was  ordered  a  few  miles  above,  to  the  re 
mains  of  the  burned  railroad  bridge,  to  await  the  rendezvous 
of  the  rest  of  his  army.  I  had  my  headquarters  on  the  Con 
tinental. 

Among  my  colonels  I  had  a  strange  character — Thomas 
Worthington,  colonel  of  the  Forty-sixth  Ohio.  He  was  a  grad 
uate  of  West  Point,  of  the  class  of  1827 ;  was,  therefore,  older 
than  General  Halleck,  General  Grant,  or  myself,  and  claimed  to 
know  more  of  war  than  all  of  us  put  together.  In  ascending 
the  river  he  did  not  keep  his  place  in  the  column,  but  pushed 
on  and  reached  Savannah  a  day  before  the  rest  of  my  division. 
When  I  reached  that  place,  I  found  that  Worthington  had 
landed  his  regiment,  and  was  flying  about  giving  orders,  as 
though  he  were  commander-in-chief.  I  made  him  get  back 
to  his  boat,  and  gave  him  to  understand  that  he  must  there 
after  keep  his  place.  General  C.  F.  Smith  arrived  about  the 
13th  of  March,  with  a  large  fleet  of  boats,  containing  Hurl- 
but's  division,  Lew.  Wallace's  division,  and  that  of  himself, 
then  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  W.  H.  L.  Wallace. 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  227 

General  Smith  sent  for  me  to  meet  him  on  his  boat,  and 
ordered  me  to  push  on  under  escort  of  the  two  gunboats, 
Lexington  and  Tyler,  commanded  by  Captains  Gwin  and 
Shirk,  United  States  £Tavy.  I  was  to  land  at  some  point  be 
low  Eastport,  and  make  a  break  of  the  Memphis  &  Charles 
ton  Railroad,  between  Tuscumbia  and  Corinth.  General 
Smith  was  quite  unwell,  and  was  suffering  from  his  leg,  which 
was  swollen  and  very  sore,  from  a  mere  abrasion  in  stepping 
into  a  small-boat.  This  actually  mortified,  and  resulted  in  his 
death  about  a  month  after,  viz.,  April  25,  1862.  He  was  ad 
jutant  of  the  Military  Academy  during  the  early  part  of  my 
career  there,  and  afterward  commandant  of  cadets.  .He  was  a 
very  handsome  and  soldierly  man,  of  great  experience,  and  at 
Donelson  had  acted  with  so  much  personal  bravery  that  to 
him  many  attributed  the  success  of  the  assault.  I  imme 
diately  steamed  up  the  Tennessee  River,  following  the  two 
gunboats,  and,  in  passing  Pittsburg  Landing,  was  told  by  Cap 
tain  Gwin  that,  on  his  former  trip  up  the  river,  he  had  found 
a  rebel  regiment  of  cavalry  posted  there,  and  that  it  was  the 
usual  landing-place  for  the  people  about  Corinth,  distant  thirty 
miles.  I  sent  word  back  to  General  Smith  that,  if  we  were 
detained  up  the  river,  he  ought  to  post  some  troops  at  Pitts- 
burg  Landing.  We  went  on  up  the  river  cautiously,  till  we 
saw  Eastport  and  Chickasaw,  both  of  which  were  occupied  by 
rebel  batteries  and  a  small  rebel  force  of  infantry. 

"We  then  dropped  back  quietly  to  the  mouth  of  Yellow  River, 
a  few  miles  below^  whence  led  a  road  to  Burnsville,  a  place  on 
the  Memphis  &  Charleston  road,  where  were  the  company's 
repair-shops.  We  at  once  commenced  disembarking  the  com 
mand  :  first  the  cavalry,  which  started  at  once  for  Burnsville, 
with  orders  to  tear  up  the  railroad-track,  and  burn  the  depots, 
shops,  etc ;  and  I  followed  with  the  infantry  and  artillery  as  fast 
as  they  were  disembarked.  It  was  raining  very  hard  at  the  time. 
Daylight  found  us  about  six  miles  out,  where  we  met  the  cavalry 
returning.  They  had  made  numerous  attempts  to  cross  the 
streams,  which  had  become  so  swollen  that  mere  brooks  covered 
the  whole  bottom ;  and  my  aide-de-camp,  Sanger,  whom  I  had 


228  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

dispatched  with  the  cavalry,  reported  the  loss,  by  drowning,  of 
several  of  the  men.  The  rain  was  pouring  in  torrents,  and  re 
ports  from  the  rear  came  that  the  river  was  rising  very  fast,  and 
that,  unless  we  got  back  to  our  boats  soon,  the  bottom  would  be 
simply  impassable.  There  was  no  alternative  but  to  regain  our 
boats  ;  and  even  this  was  so  difficult,  that  we  had  to  unharness 
the  artillery-horses,  and  drag  the  guns  under  water  through  the 
bayous,  to  reach  the  bank  of  the  river.  Once  more  embarked,  I 
concluded  to  drop  down  to  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  to  make  the 
attempt  from  there.  During  the  night  of  the  14th,  we  dropped 
down  to  Pittsburg  Landing,  where  I  found  Hurlbut's  division 
in  boats.  Leaving  my  command  there,  I  steamed  down  to  Sa 
vannah,  and  reported  to  General  Smith  in  person,  who  saw 
in  the  flooded  Tennessee  the  full  truth  of  my  report ;  and  he 
then  instructed  me  to  disembark  my  own  division,  and  that  of 
General  Hurlbut,  at  Pittsburg  Landing ;  to  take  positions  well 
back,  and  to  leave  room  for  his  whole  army ;  telling  me  that  he 
would  soon  come  up  in  person,  and  move  out  in  force  to  make 
the  lodgment  on  the  railroad,  contemplated  by  General  Hal- 
leek's  orders. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  McPherson,  of  General  C.  F.  Smith's,  or 
rather  General  Halleck's,  staff,  returned  with  me,  and  on  the 
16th  of  March  we  disembarked  and  marched  out  about  ten 
miles  toward  Corinth,  to  a  place  called  Monterey  or  Pea  Ridge, 
where  the  rebels  had  a  cavalry  regiment,  which  of  course  de 
camped  on  our  approach,  but  from  the  people  we  learned  that 
trains  were  bringing  large  masses  of  men  from  every  direction 
into  Corinth.  McPherson  and  I  reconnoitred  the  ground  well, 
and  then  returned  to  our  boats.  On  the  18th,  Hurlbut  disem 
barked  his  division  and  took  post  about  a  mile  and  a  half  out, 
near  where  the  roads  branched,  one  leading  to  Corinth  and  the 
other  toward  Hamburg.  On  the  19th  I  disembarked  my 
division,  and  took  post  about  three  miles  back,  three  of  the 
brigades  covering  the  roads  to  Purdy  and  Corinth,  and  the  other 
brigade  (Stuart's)  temporarily  at  a  place  on  the  Hamburg  Road, 
near  Lick  Creek  Ford,  where  the  Bark  Road  came  into  the 
Hamburg  Road.  Within  a  few  days,  Prentiss's  division  arrived 


1862.  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  229 

and  camped  on  my  left,  and  afterward  McClernand's  and  W.  H. 
L.  Wallace's  divisions,  which  formed  a  line  to  our  rear.  Lew 
Wallace's  division  remained  on  the  north  side  of  Snake  Creek, 
on  a  road  leading  from  Savannah  or  Crump's  Landing  to  Purdy. 

General  C.  F.  Smith  remained  back  at  Savannah,  in  chief 
command,  and  I  was  only  responsible  for  my  own  division.  I 
kept  pickets  well  out  on  the  roads,  and  made  myself  familiar 
with  all  the  ground  inside  and  outside  my  lines.  My  personal 
staff  was  composed  of  Captain  J.  H.  Hammond,  assistant  ad 
jutant-general  ;  Surgeons  Hartshorn  and  L'Hommedieu ;  Lieu 
tenant  Colonels  Hascall  and  Sanger,  inspector-generals ;  Lieu 
tenants  McCoy  and  John  Taylor,  aides-de-camp.  We  were  all 
conscious  that  the  enemy  was  collecting  at  Corinth,  but  in  what 
force  we  could  not  know,  nor  did  we  know  what  was  going  on 
behind  us.  On  the  17th  of  March,  General  U.  S.  Grant  was 
restored  .to  the  command  of  all  the  troops  up  the  Tennessee 
Kiver,  by  reason  of  General  Smith's  extreme  illness,  and  be 
cause  he  had  explained  to  General  Halleck  satisfactorily  his 
conduct  after  Donelson ;  and  he  too  made  his  headquarters  at 
Savannah,  but  frequently  visited  our  camps.  I  always  acted  on 
the  supposition  that  we  were  an  invading  army;  that  our 
purpose  was  to  move  forward  in  force,  make  a  lodgment  on 
the  Memphis  &  Charleston  road,  and  thus  repeat  the  grand 
tactics  of  Fort  Donelson,  by  separating  the  rebels  in  the  interior 
from  those  at  Memphis  and  on  the  Mississippi  River.  We  did 
not  fortify  our  camps  against  an  attack,  because  we  had  no 
orders  to  do  so,  and  because  such  a  course  would  have  made  our 
raw  men  timid.  The  position  was  naturally  strong,  with  Snake 
Creek  on  our  right,  a  deep,  bold  stream,  with  a  confluent  (Owl 
Creek)  to  our  right  front ;  and  Lick  Creek,  with  a  similar  con 
fluent,  on  our  left,  thus  narrowing  the  space  over  which  we 
could  be  attacked  to  about  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles. 

At  a  later  period  of  the  war,  we  could  have  rendered  this 
position  impregnable  in  one  night,  but  at  this  time  we  did  not  do 
it,  and  it  may  be  it  is  well  we  did  not.  From  about  the  1st  of 
April  we  were  conscious  that  the  rebel  cavalry  in  our  front 
was  getting  bolder  and  more  saucy ;  and  on  Friday,  the  4th  of 


230  BATTLE   OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

April,  it  dashed  down  and  carried  off  one  of  our  picket-guards, 
composed  of  an  officer  and  seven  men,  posted  a  couple  of  miles 
out  on  the  Corinth  road.  Colonel  Buckland  sent  a  company 
to  its  relief,  then  followed  himself  with  a  regiment,  and,  fear 
ing  lest  he  might  be  worsted,  I  called  out  his  whole  brigade 
and  followed  some  four  or  five  miles,  when  the  cavalry  in 
advance  encountered  artillery.  I  then,  after  dark,  drew  back  to 
our  lines,  and  reported  the  fact  by  letter  to  General  Grant,  at 
Savannah ;  but  thus  far  we  had  not  positively  detected  the  pres 
ence  of  infantry,  for  cavalry  regiments  generally  had  a  couple 
of  guns  along,  and  I  supposed  the  guns  that  opened  on  us  on 
the  evening  of  Friday,  April  4th,  belonged  to  the  cavalry  that 
was  hovering  along  our  whole  front. 

Saturday  passed  in  our  camps  without  any  unusual  event, 
the  weather  being  wet  and  mild,  and  the  roads  back  to  the 
steamboat-landing  being  heavy  with  mud ;  but  on  Sunday 
morning,  the  6th,  early,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  picket-firing, 
and  I  got  breakfast,  rode  out  along  my  lines,  and,  about  four 
hundred  yards  to  the  front  of  Appier's  regiment,  received 
from  some  bushes  in  a  ravine  to  the  left  front  a  volley  which 
killed  my  orderly,  Holliday.  About  the  same  time  I  saw  the 
rebel  lines  of  battle  in  front  coming  down  on  us  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach.  All  my  troops  were  in  line  of  battle, 
ready,  and  the  ground  was  favorable  to  us.  I  gave  the  necessary 
orders  to  the  battery  (Waterhouse's)  attached  to  Hildebrand's 
brigade,  and  cautioned  the  men  to  reserve  their  fire  till  the 
rebels  had  crossed  the  ravine  of  Owl  Creek,  and  had  begun  the 
ascent ;  also,  sent  staff-officers  to  notify  Generals  McClernand 
and  Prentiss  of  the  coming  blow.  Indeed,  McClernand  had  al 
ready  sent  three  regiments  to  the  support  of  my  left  flank,  and 
they  were  in  position  when  the  onset  came. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  battle  of  "  Shiloh  "  began  with  extreme 
fury,  and  lasted  two  days.  Its  history  has  been  well  given,  and 
it  has  been  made  the  subject  of  a  great  deal  of  controversy. 
Hildebrand's  brigade  was  soon  knocked  to  pieces,  but  Buckland's 
and  McDowell's  kept  their  organization  throughout.  Stuart's 
was  driven  back  to  the  river,  and  did  not  join  me  in  person  till 


1862.]  BATTLE   OF  SHILOH.  231 

the  second  day.  of  the  battle.  I  think  my  several  reports  of  that 
battle  are  condensed  and  good,  made  on  the  spot,  when  all  the 
names  and  facts  were  fresh  in  my  memory,  and  are  herewith 
given  entire : 

HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  Division,      ) 
PITTSBURG  LANDING,  March,  17, 1862.  j 

Captain  ~WM.  McMiCHAEL,  Assistant  Adjutant- General  to  General  0.  F. 
SMITH,  Savannah,  Tennessee. 

SIB  :  Last  night  I  dispatched  a  party  of  cavalry,  at  6  p.  M.,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Heath,  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry,  for  a  strong 
reconnoissance,  if  possible,  to  be  converted  into  an  attack  upon  the  Mem 
phis  road.  The  command  got  off  punctually,  followed  at  twelve  o'clock  at 
night  by  the  First  Brigade  of  my  division,  commanded  by  Colonel  McDow 
ell,  the  other  brigades  to  follow  in  order. 

About  one  at  night  the  cavalry  returned,  reporting  the  road  occupied  in 
force  by  the  enemy,  with  whose  advance-guard  they  skirmished,  driving 
them  back  about  a  mile,  taking  two  prisoners,  and  having  their  chief  guide, 
Thomas  Maxwell,  Esq.,  and  three  men  of  the  Fourth  Illinois  wounded. 

Inclose'd  please  find  the  report  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Heath ;  also  a 
copy  of  his  instructions,  and  the  order  of  march.  As  soon  as  the  cavalry 
returned,  I  saw  that  an  attempt  on  the  road  was  frustrated,  and  accordingly 
have  placed  McDowell's  brigade  to  our  right  front,  guarding  the  pass  of 
Snake  Creek ;  Stuart's  brigade  to  the  left  front,  to  watch  the  pass  of  Lick 
Creek ;  and  I  shall  this  morning  move  directly  out  on  the  Corinth  road, 
about  eight  miles  to  or  toward  Pea  Eidge,  which  is  a  key-point  to  the 
southwest. 

General  Hurlbut's  division  will  be  landed  to-day,  and  the  artillery  and 
infantry  disposed  so  as  to  defend  Pittsburg,  leaving  my  division  entire  for 
any  movement  by  land  or  water. 

Aa  near  as  I  can  learn,  there  are  five  regiments  of  rebel  infantry  at 
Purdy ;  at  Corinth,  and  distributed  along  the  railroad  to  luca,  are  probably 
thirty  thousand  men ;  but  my  information  from  prisoners  is  very  indis 
tinct.  Every  road  and  path  is  occupied  by  the  enemy's  cavalry,  whose  or 
ders  seem  to  be,  to  fire  a  volley,  retire,  again  fire  and  retire.  The  force  on 
the  Purdy  road  attacked  and  driven  by  Major  Bowman  yesterday,  was 
about  sixty  strong.  That  encountered  last  night  on  the  Corinth  road  was 
about  five  companies  of  Tennessee  cavalry,  sent  from  Purdy  about  2  p.  M. 
yesterday. 

I  hear  there  is  a  force  of  two  regiments  on  Pea  Ridge,  at  the  point 
where  the  Purdy  and  Corinth  roads  come  together. 

I  am  satisfied  we  cannot  reach  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  road 
without  a  considerable  engagement,  which  is  prohibited  by  General  Hal- 
leek's  instructions,  so  that  I  will  be  governed  by  your  orders  of  yesterday, 


232  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

to  occupy  Pittsburg  strongly,  extend  the  pickets  so  as  to  include  a  semi 
circle  of  three  miles,  and  push  a  strong  reconnoissance  as  far  out  as  Lick 
Creek  and  Pea  Ridge. 

I  will  send  down  a  good  many  boats  to-day,  to  be  employed  as  you 
may  direct ;  and  would  be  obliged  if  you  would  send  a  couple  of  thousand 
sacks  of  corn,  as  much  hay  as  you  can  possibly  spare,  and,  if  possible,  a  barge 
of  coal. 

I  will  send  a  steamboat  under  care  of  the  gunboat,  to  collect  corn  from 
cribs  on  the  river-bank 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN, 
Brigadier- General  commanding  First  Division. 

HEADQTJAKTERS,  STEAMBOAT  CONTINEKTAL,  ) 
PITTSBUBG,  March  18, 1862.  j 

Captain  KAWLINS,  Assistant  Adjutant- General  to  General  GBANT. 

SIE  :  The  division  surgeon  having  placed  some  one  hundred  or  more  sick 
on  board  the  Fanny  Bullitt,  I  have  permitted  her  to  take  them  to  Savan 
nah.  There  is  neither  house  nor  building  of  any  kind  that  can  be  used  for 
a  hospital  here. 

I  hope  to  receive  an  order  to  establish  floating  hospitals,  but  in  the  mean 
time,  by  the  advice  of  the  surgeon,  allow  these  sick  men  to  leave.  Let  me 
hope  that  it  will  meet  your  approbation. 

The  order  for  debarkation  came  while  General  Sherman  was  absent  with 
three  brigades,  and  no  men  are  left  to  move  the  effects  of  these  brigades. 

The  landing,  too,  is  small,  with  scarcely  any  chance  to  increase  it ;  there 
fore  there  is  a  great  accumulation  of  boats.  Colonel  McArthur  has  arrived, 
and  is  now  cutting  a  landing  for  himself. 

General  Sherman  will  return  this  evening.  I  am  obliged  to  transgress, 
and  write  myself  in  the  mean  time, 

Respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  H.  HAMMOND,  Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

P.  S — 4  P.  M. — Just  back ;  have  been  half-way  to  Corinth  and  to  Purdy. 
All  right.  Have  just  read  this  letter,  and  approve  all  but  floating  hospitals ; 
regimental  surgeons  can  take  care  of  all  sick,  except  chronic  cases,  which  can 
always  be  sent  down  to  Paducah. 

Magnificent  plain  for  camping  and  drilling,  and  a  military  point  of  great 
strength.  The  enemy  has  felt  us  twice,  at  great  loss  and  demoralization ; 
will  report  at  length  this  evening ;  am  now  much  worn  out. 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Brigadier- General. 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  233 

HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  DIVISION,      ) 
PITTSBUR&  LANDING,  March  19, 1862.  j 

Captain  RAWLIXS,  Assistant  Adjutant-  General  tQ  General  GKANT,  Savannah, 
Tennessee. 

SIB  :  I  have  just  returned  from  an  extensive  reconnoissance  toward 
Corinth  and  Purdy,  and  am  strongly  impressed  with  the  importance  of  this 
position,  both  for  its  land  advantages  and  its  strategic  position.  The 
ground  itself  admits  of  easy  defense  by  a  small  command,  and  yet  affords 
admirable  camping-ground  for  a  hundred  thousand  men.  I  will  as  soon  as 
possible  make  or  cause  to  be  made  a  topographical  sketch  of  the  position. 
The  only  drawback  is  that,  at  this  stage  of  water,  the  space  for  landing  is 
contracted  too  much  for  the  immense  fleet  now  here  discharging. 

I  will  push  the  loading  and  unloading  of  boats,  but  suggest  that  you  send 
at  once  (Captain  Dodd,  if  possible)  the  best  quartermaster  you  can,  that  he 
may  control  and  organize  this  whole  matter.  I  have  a  good  commissary, 
and  will  keep  as  few  provisions  afloat  as  possible.  Yours,  etc., 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Brigadier- General  commanding. 

HEADQUARTERS  SHERMAN'S  DIVISION, 
CAMP  SHILOH,  NEAR  PITTSBURG  LANDING,  TENNESSEE,  April  2, 1862.  ) 

Captain  J.  A.  RAWLIXS,  Assistant  Adjutant- General  to  General  GBANT. 

SIR  :  In  obedience  to  General  Grant's  instructions  of  March  31st,  with 
one  section  of  Captain  Muench's  Minnesota  Battery,  two  twelve-pound 
howitzers,  a  detachment  of  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
under  Major  Ricker,  and  two  battalions  of  infantry  from  the  Fifty-seventh 
and  Seventy-seventh  Ohio,  under  the  command  of  Colonels  Hildebrand  and 
Mungen,  I  marched  to  the  river,  and  embarked  on  the  steamers  Empress 
and  Tecumseh.  The  gunboat  Cairo  did  not  arrive  at  Pittsburg,  until  after 
midnight,  and  at  6  A.  M.  Captain  Bryant,  commanding  the  gunboat,  noti 
fied  me  that  he  was  ready  to  proceed  up  the  river.  I  followed,  keeping 
the  transports  within  about  three  hundred  yards  of  the  gunboat.  About 
1  P.  M.,  the  Cairo  commenced  shelling  the  battery  above  the  mouth  of  In 
dian  Creek,  but  elicited  no  reply.  She  proceeded  up  the  river  steadily  and 
cautiously,  followed  close  by  the  Tyler  and  Lexington,  all  throwing  shells 
at  the  points  where,  on  former  visits  of  the  gunboats,  enemy's  batteries 
were  found.  In  this  order  all  followed,  till  it  was  demonstrated  that  all  the 
enemy's  batteries,  including  that  at  Chickasaw,  were  abandoned. 

I  ordered  the  battalion  of  infantry  under  Colonel  Hildebrand  to  disem 
bark  at  Eastport,  and  with  the  other  battalion  proceeded  to  Chickasaw  and 
landed.  The  battery  at  this  point  had  evidently  been  abandoned  some 
time,  and  consisted  of  the  remains  of  an  old  Indian  mound,  partly  washed 
away  by  the  river,  which  had  been  fashioned  into  a  two-gun  battery,  with 
a  small  magazine.  The  ground  to  its  rear  had  evidently  been  overflowed 


234:  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

during  the  late  freshet,  and  led  to  the  removal  of  the  guns  to  Eastport, 
where  the  batteries  were  on  high,  elevated  ground,  accessible  at  all  seasons 
from  the  country  to  the  rear. 

Upon  personal  inspection,  I  attach  little  importance  to  Chickasaw  as  a 
military  position.  The  people,  who  had  fled  during  the  approach  of  the 
gunboats,  returned  to  the  village,  and  said  the  place  had  been  occupied  by 
one  Tennessee  regiment  and  a  battery  of  artillery  from  Pensacola.  After 
remaining  at  Chickasaw  some  hours,  all  the  boats  dropped  back  to  East- 
port,  not  more  than  a  mile  below,  and  landed  there.  Eastport  Landing 
during  the  late  freshet  must  have  been  about  twelve  feet  under  water,  but 
at  the  present  stage  the  landing  is  the  best  I  have  seen  on  the  Tennessee 
River. 

The  levee  is  clear  of  trees  or  snags,  and  a  hundred  boats  could  land 
there  without  confusion. 

The  soil  is  of  sand  and  gravel,  and  very  firm.  The  road  back  is  hard, 
and  at  a  distance  of  about  four  hundred  yards  from  the  water  begin  the 
gravel  hills  of  the  country.  The  infantry  scouts  sent  out  by  Colonel  Hilde- 
brand  found  the  enemy's  cavalry  mounted,  and  watching  the  luca  road, 
about  two  miles  back  of  Eastport.  The  distance  to  luca  is  only  eight  miles, 
and  luca  is  the  nearest  point  and  has  the  best  road  by  which  the  Charles 
ton  &  Memphis  Railroad  can  be  reached.  I  could  obtain  no  certain  informa 
tion  as  to  the  strength  of  the  enemy  there,  but  am  satisfied  that  it  would 
have  been  folly  to  have  attempted  it  with  my  command.  Our  object  being 
to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  the  batteries  recently  erected  near  Eastport, 
and  this  being  attained,  I  have  returned,  and  report  the  river  to  be  clear 
to  and  beyond  Chickasaw. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN, 
Brigadier- General  commanding  Division. 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  Division',         j 
CAMP  SHILOH,  April  5,  1862.  J 

Captain  J.  A.  RAWLINB,  Assistant  Adjutant- General,  District  of  Western 

Tennessee. 

SIR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  yesterday,  about  3  p.  M.,  the  lieu 
tenant  commanding  and  seven  men  of  the  advance  pickets  imprudently 
advanced  from  their  posts  and  were  captured.  I  ordered  Major  Kicker,  of 
the  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry,  to  proceed  rapidly  to  the  picket-station,  ascertain 
the  truth,  and  act  according  to  circumstances.  He  reached  the  station, 
found  the  pickets  had  been  captured  as  reported,  and  that  a  company  of 
infantry  sent  by  the  brigade  commander  had  gone  forward  in  pursuit  of 
some  cavalry.  He  rapidly  advanced  some  two  miles,  and  found  them  en 
gaged,  charged  the  enemy,  and  drove  them  along  the  Ridge  road,  till  he 


1862.]  BATTLE   OF  SHILOH.  235 

met  and  received  three  discharges  of  artillery,  -when  he  very  properly 
wheeled  under  cover,  and  returned  till  he  met  me. 

As  soon  as  I  heard  artillery,  I  advanced  with  two  regiments  of  infantry, 
and  took  position,  and  remained  until  the  scattered  companies  of  infantry 
and  cavalry  had  returned.  This  was  after  night. 

I  infer  that  the  enemy  is  in  some  considerable  force  at  Pea  Ridge,  that 
yesterday  morning  they  crossed  a  brigade  of  two  regiments  of  infantry,  one 
regiment  of  cavalry,  and  one  battery  of  field-artillery,  to  the  ridge  on  which 
the  Corinth  road  lies.  They  halted  the  infantry  and  artillery  at  a  point 
about  five  miles  in  my  front,  sent  a  detachment  to  the  lane  of  General 
Meaks,  on  the  north  of  Owl  Creek,  and  the  cavalry  down  toward  our  camp. 
This  cavalry  captured  a  part  of  our  advance  pickets,  and  afterward  en 
gaged  the  two  companies  of  Colonel  Buckland's  regiment,  as  described  by 
him  in  his  report  herewith  inclosed.  Our  cavalry  drove  them  back  upon 
their  artillery  and  Infantry,  killing  many,  and  bringing  off  ten  prisoners,  all 
of  the  First  Alabama  Cavalry,  whom  I  send  to  you. 

"We  lost  of  the  pickets  one  first-lieutenant  and  seven  men  of  the  Ohio 
Seventieth  Infantry  (list  inclosed) ;  one  major,  one  lieutenant,  and  one  pri 
vate  of  the.  Seventy-second  Ohio,  taken  prisoners ;  eight  privates  wounded 
(names  in  full,  embraced  in  report  of  Colonel  Buckland,  inclosed  herewith). 

"W*  took  ten  prisoners,  and  left  two  rebels  wounded  and  many  killed  on 
the  field. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHEBMAN, 
Brigadier- General,  commanding  Division. 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  DIVISION,       | 
CAMP  SHILOH,  April  10,  1862.    J 

Captain  J.  A.  RAWLTNS,  Assistant  Adjutant- General  to  General  GBANT. 

SIE  :  I  had  the  honor  to  report  that,  on  Friday  the  4th  inst.,  the  enemy's 
cavalry  drove  in  our  pickets,  posted  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  advance  of 
my  centre,  on  the  main  Corinth  road,  capturing  one  first-lieutenant  and 
seven  men ;  that  I  caused  a  pursuit  by  the  cavalry  of  my  division,  driving 
them  back  about  five  miles,  and  killing  many.  On  Saturday  the  enemy's 
cavalry  was  again  very  bold,  coming  well  down  to  our  front ;  yet  I  did  not 
believe  they  designed  any  thing  but  a  strong  demonstration.  On  Sunday 
morning  early,  the  6th  inst.,  the  enemy  drove  our  advance-guard  back  on  the 
main  body,  when  I  ordered  under  arms  all  my  division,  and  sent  word  to 
General  McClernand,  asking  him  to  support  my  left ;  to  General  Prentiss, 
giving  him  notice  that  the  enemy  was  in  our  front  in  force,  and  to  General 
Hurlbut,  asking  him  to  support  General  Prentiss.  At  that  time — 7  A.  M. — 
my  division  was  arranged  as  follows : 

First  Brigade,  composed  of  the  Sixth  Iowa,  Colonel  J.  A.  McDowell ; 


236  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

Fortieth  Illinois,  Colonel  Hicks ;  Forty-sixth  Ohio,  Colonel  Worthington ; 
and  the  Morton  battery,  Captain  Behr,  on  the  extreme  right,  guarding  the 
bridge  on  the  Purdy  road  over  Owl  Creek. 

Second  Brigade,  composed  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  Colonel  D.  Stuart ; 
the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  Colonel  T.  Kilby  Smith;  and  the  Seventy-first  Ohio, 
Colonel  Mason,  on  the  extreme  left,  guarding  the  ford  over  Lick  Creek. 

Third  Brigade,  composed  of  the  Seventy-seventh  Ohio,  Colonel  Hilde- 
brand ;  the  Fifty-third  Ohio,  Colonel  Appier ;  and  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio, 
Colonel  Mungen,  on  the  left  of  the  Corinth  road,  its  right  resting  on  Shiloh 
meeting-house. 

Fourth  Brigade,  composed  of  the  Seventy-second  Ohio,  Colonel  Buckland ; 
the  Forty-eighth  Ohio,  Colonel  Sullivan ;  and  the  Seventieth  Ohio,  Colonel 
Cockerill,  on  the  right  of  the  Corinth  road,  its  left  resting  on  Shiloh 
meeting-house. 

Two  batteries  of  artillery — Taylor's  and  "Waterhouse's — were  posted,  the 
former  at  Shiloh,  and  the  latter  on  a  ridge  to  the  left,  with  a  front-fire  over 
open  ground  between  Mungen's  and  Appier's  regiments.  The  cavalry, 
eight  companies  of  the  Fourth  Illinois,  under  Colonel  Dickey,  were  posted 
in  a  large  open  field  to  the  left  and  rear  of  Shiloh  meeting-house,  which  I 
regarded  as  the  centre  of  my  position. 

Shortly  after  7  A.  M.,  with  my  entire  staff,  I  rode  along  a  portion  of  our 
front,  and  when  in  the  open  field  before  Appier's  regiment,  the  enemy's 
pickets  opened  a  brisk  fire  upon  my  party,  killing  my  orderly,  Thomas  D. 
Holliday,  of  Company  H,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry.  The  fire  came  from  the 
bushes  which  line  a  small  stream  that  rises  in  the  field  in  front  of  Appier's 
camp,  and  flows  to  the  north  along  my  whole  front. 

This  valley  afforded  the  enemy  partial  cover ;  but  our  men  were  so  posted 
as  to  have  a  good  fire  at  them  as  they  crossed  the  valley  and  ascended  the 
rising  ground  on  our  side. 

About  8  A.  M.  I  saw  the  glistening  bayonets  of  heavy  masses  of  infantry 
to  our  left  front  in  the  woods  beyond  the  small  stream  alluded  to,  and  be 
came  satisfied  for  the  first  time  that  the  enemy  designed  a  determined 
attack  on  our  whole  camp. 

All  the  regiments  of  my  division  were  then  in  line  of  battle  at  their 
proper  posts.  I  rode  to  Colonel  Appier,  and  ordered  him  to  hold  his  ground 
at  all  hazards,  as  he  held  the  left  flank  of  our  first  line  of  battle,  and  I  informed 
him  that  he  had  a  good  battery  on  his  right,  and  strong  support  to  his  rear. 
General  McClernand  had  promptly  and  energetically  responded  to  my 
request,  and  had  sent  me  three  regiments  which  were  posted  to  protect 
Waterhouse's  battery  and  the  left  flank  of  my  line. 

The  battle  opened  by  the  enemy's  battery,  in  the  woods  to  our  front, 
throwing  shells  into  our  camp.  Taylor's  and  Waterhouse's  batteries 
promptly  responded,  and  I  then  observed  heavy  battalions  of  infantry 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SH1LOH.  237 

passing  obliquely  to  the  left,  across  the  open  field  in  Appier's  front;  also, 
other  columns  advancing  directly  upon  my  division.  Our  infantry  and 
artillery  opened  along  the  whole  line,  and  the  hattle  became  general.  Other 
heavy  masses  of  the  enemy's  forces  kept  passing  across  the  field  to  our  left, 
and  directing  their  course  on  General  Prentiss.  I  saw  at  once  that  the 
enemy  designed  to  pass  my  left  flank,  and  fall  upon  Generals  McClernand 
and  Prentiss,  whose  line  of  camps  was  almost  parallel  with  the  Tennessee 
Kiver,  and  about  two  miles  back  from  it.  Very  soon  the  sound  of  artillery 
and  musketry  announced  that  General  Prentiss  was  engaged ;  and  about 
9  A.  M.  I  judged  that  he  was  falling  back.  About  this  time  Appier's  regi 
ment  broke  in  disorder,  followed  by  Mungen's  regiment,  and  the  enemy 
pressed  forward  on  Waterhouse's  battery  thereby  exposed. 

The  three  Illinois  regiments  in  immediate  support  of  this  battery  stood 
for  some  time ;  but  the  enemy's  advance  was  so  vigorous,  and  the  fire  so 
severe,  that  when  Colonel  Eaith,  of  the  Forty-third  Illinois,  received  a  se 
vere  wound  and  fell  from  his  horse,  his  regiment  and  the  others  manifested 
disorder,  and  the  enemy  got  possession  of  three  guns  of  this  (Waterhouse's) 
battery.  Although  our  left  was  thus  turned,  and  the  enemy  was  pressing 
our  whole 'line,  I  deemed  Shiloh  so  important,  that  I  remained  by  it  and 
renewed  my  orders  to  Colonels  McDowell  and  Buckland  to  hold  their 
ground ;  and  we  did  hold  these  positions  until  about  10  A.  M.,  when  the 
enemy  had  got  his  artillery  to  the  rear  of  our  left  flank  and  some  change 
became  absolutely  necessary.  Two  regiments  of  Hildebrand's  brigade— 
Appier's  and  Mungen's — had  already  disappeared  to  the  rear,  and  Hilde 
brand's  own  regiment  was  in  disorder.  I  therefore  gave  orders  for  Taylor's 
battery — still  at  Shiloh — to  fall  back  as  far  as  the  Purdy  and  Hamburg  road, 
and  for  McDowell  and  Buckland  to  adopt  that  road  as  their  new  line.  I 
rode  across  the  angle  and  met  Behr's  battery  at  the  cross-roads,  and  ordered 
it  immediately  to  come  into  battery,  action  right.  Captain  Behr  gave  the 
order,  but  he  was  almost  immediately  shot  from  his  horse,  when  drivers  and 
gunners  fled  in  disorder,  carrying  off  the  caissons,  and  abandoning  five  out 
of  six  guns,  without  firing  a  shot.  The  enemy  pressed  on,  gaining  this  bat 
tery,  and  we  were  again  forced  to  choose  a  new  line  of  defense.  Hildebrand's 
brigade  had  substantially  disappeared  from  the  field,  though  he  himself 
bravely  remained.  McDowell's  and  Buckland's  brigades  maintained  their 
organizations,  and  were  conducted  by  my  aides,  so  as  to  join  on  General 
McClernand's  right,  thus  abandoning  my  original  camps  and  line.  This  was 
about  10^  A.  M.,  at  which  time  the  enemy  had  made  a  furious  attack  on 
General  McClernand's  whole  front.  He  struggled  most  determinedly,  but, 
finding  him  pressed,  I  moved  McDowell's  brigade  directly  against  the  left 
flank  of  the  enemy,  forced  him  back  some  distance,  and  then  directed  the 
men  to  avail  themselves  of  every  cover — trees,  fallen  timber,  and  a  wooded 
valley  to  our  right.  "We  held  this  position  for  four  long  hours,  some- 


238  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

times  gaining  and  at  others  losing  ground ;  General  McClernand  and  my 
self  acting  in  perfect  concert,  and  struggling  to  maintain  this  line.  While 
we  were  so  hard  pressed,  two  Iowa  regiments  approached  from  the  rear, 
but  could  not  be  brought  up  to  the  severe  fire  that  was  raging  in  our  front, 
and  General  Grant,  who  visited  us  on  that  ground,  will  remember  our  situ 
ation  about  3  P.  M.  ;  but  about  4  p.  M.  it  was  evident  that  Hurlbut's  line  had 
been  driven  back  to  the  river ;  and  knowing  that  General  Lew  Wallace  was 
coming  with  reSnforcements  from  Crump's  Landing,  General  McClernand 
and  I,  on  consultation,  selected  a  new  line  of  defense,  with  its  right  covering 
a  bridge  by  which  General  Wallace  had  to  approach.  We  fell  back  as  well 
as  we  could,  gathering  in  addition  to  our  own  such  scattered  forces  as  we 
could  find,  and  formed  the  new  line. 

During  this  change  the  enemy's  cavalry  charged  us,  but  were  handsomely 
repulsed  by  the  Twenty-ninth  Illinois  Kegiment.  The  Fifth  Ohio  Battery, 
which  had  come  up,  rendered  good  service  in  holding  the  enemy  in  check 
for  some  time,  and  Major  Taylor  also  came  up  with  another  battery  and  got 
into  position,  just  in  time  to  get  a  good  flank-fire  upon  the  enemy's  column, 
as  he  pressed  on  General  McClernand's  right,  checking  his  advance ;  when 
General  McClernand's  division  made  a  fine  charge  on  the  enemy  and  drove 
him  back  into  the  ravines  to  our  front  and  right.  I  had  a  clear  field,  about 
two  hundred  yards  wide,  in  my  immediate  front,  and  contented  myself 
with  keeping  the  enemy's  infantry  at  that  distance  during  the  rest  of  the 
day.  In  this  position  we  rested  for  the  night.  My  command  had  become 
decidedly  of  a  mixed  character.  Buckland's  brigade  was  the  only  one  that 
retained  its  organization.  Colonel  Hildebrand  was  personally  there,  but 
his  brigade  was  not.  Colonel  McDowell  had  been  severely  injured  by  a  fall 
off  his  horse,  and  had  gone  to  the  river,  and  the  three  regiments  of  his  bri 
gade  were  not  in  line.  The  Thirteenth  Missouri,  Colonel  Crafts  J.  Wright, 
had  reported  to  me  on  the  field,  and  fought  well,  retaining  its  regimental 
organization ;  and  it  formed  a  part  of  my  line  during  Sunday  night  and  all 
Monday.  Other  fragments  of  regiments  and  companies  had  also  fallen  into 
my  division,  and  acted  with  it  during  the  remainder  of  the  battle.  Generals 
Grant  and  Buell  visited  me  in  our  bivouac  that  evening,  and  from  them  I 
learned  the  situation  of  affairs  on  other  parts  of  the  field.  General  Wallace 
arrived  from  Crump's  Landing  shortly  after  dark,  and  formed  his  line  to  my 
right  rear.  It  rained  hard  during  the  night,  but  our  men  were  in  good 
spirits,  lay  on  their  arms,  being  satisfied  with  such  bread  and  meat  as 
could  be  gathered  at  the  neighboring  camps,  and  determined  to  redeem  on 
Monday  the  losses  of  Sunday. 

At  daylight  of  Monday  I  received  General  Grant's  orders  to  advance  and 
recapture  our  original  camps.  I  dispatched  several  members  of  my  staff  to 
bring  up  all  the  men  they  could  find,  especially  the  brigade  of  Colonel 
Stuart,  which  had  been  separated  from  the  division  all  the  day  before ;  and 
at  the  appointed  time  the  division,  or  rather  what  remained  of  it,  with  the 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOII.  239 

Thirteenth  Missouri  and  other  fragments,  moved  forward  and  reoccupied 
the  ground  on  the  extreme  right  of  General  McClernand's  camp,  where  we 
attracted  the  fire  of  a  battery  located  near  Colonel  McDowell's  former  head 
quarters.  Here  I  remained,  patiently  waiting  for  the  sound  of  General 
Buell's  advance  upon  the  main  Corinth  road.  About  10  A.  M.  the  heavy 
firing  in  that  direction,  and  its  steady  approach,  satisfied  me ;  and  General 
"Wallace  being  on  our  right  flank  with  his  well-conducted  division,  I  led  the 
head  of  my  column  to  General  McClernand's  right,  formed  line  of  battle, 
facing  south,  with  Buckland's  brigade  directly  across  the  ridge,  and  Stuart's 
brigade  on  its  right  in  the  woods ;  and  thus  advanced,  steadily  and  slowly, 
under  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  and  artillery.  Taylor  had  just  got  to  me 
from  the  rear,  where  he  had  gone  for  ammunition,  and  brought  up  three 
guns,  which  I  ordered  into  position,  to  advance  by  hand  firing.  These 
guns  belonged  to  Company  A,  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  P.  P.  "Wood,  and  did  most  excellent  service.  Under  cover  of 
their  fire,  we  advanced  till  we  reached  the  point  where  the  Corinth  road 
crosses  the  line  of  McClernand's  camp,  and  here  I  saw  for  the  first  time  the 
well-ordered  and  compact  columns  of  General  Buell's  Kentucky  forces, 
whose  soldierly  movements  at  once  gave  confidence  to  our  newer  and  less 
disciplined  men.  Here  I  saw  Willich's  regiment  advance  upon  a  point  of 
water-oaks  and  thicket,  behind  which  I  knew  the  enemy  was  in  great 
strength,  and  enter  it  in  beautiful  style.  Then  arose  the  severest  musketry- 
fire  I  ever  heard,  and  lasted  some  twenty  minutes,  when  this  splendid  regi 
ment  had  to  fall  back.  This  green  point  of  timber  is  about  five  hundred 
yards  east  of  Shiloh  meeting-house,  and  it  was  evident  here  was  to  be  the 
struggle.  The  enemy  could  also  be  seen  forming  his  lines  to  the  south. 
General  McClernand  sending  to  me  for  artillery,  I  detached  to  him  the  three 
guns  of  Wood's  battery,  with  which  he  speedily  drove  them  back,  and, 
seeing  some  others  to  the  rear,  I  sent  one  of  my  staff  to  bring  them  forward, 
when,  by  almost  providential  decree,  they  proved  to  be  two  twenty-four- 
pound  howitzers  belonging  to  McAlister's  battery,  and  served  as  well  as 
guns  ever  could  be. 

This  was  about  2  P.  M.  The  enemy  had  one  battery  close  by  Shiloh, 
and  another  near  the  Hamburg  road,  both  pouring  grape  and  canister  upon 
any  column  of  troops  that  advanced  upon  the  green  point  of  water-oaks. 
Willich's  regiment  had  been  repulsed,  but  a  whole  brigade  of  McCook's  di 
vision  advanced  beautifully,  deployed,  and  entered  this  dreaded  wood.  I 
ordered  my  second  brigade  (then  commanded  by  Colonel  T.  Kilby  Smith, 
Colonel  Stuart  being  wounded)  to  form  on  its  right,  and  my  fourth  brigade, 
Colonel  Buckland,  on  its  right ;  all  to  advance  abreast  with  this  Kentucky 
brigade  before  mentioned,  which  I  afterward  found  to  be  Eousseau's  bri 
gade  of  McCook's  division.  I  gave  personal  direction  to  the  twenty-four- 
pounder  guns,  whose  well-directed  fire  first  silenced  the  enemy's  guns  to 
the  left,  and  afterward  at  the  Shiloh  meeting-house. 


24:0  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

Eousseau's  brigade  moved  in  splendid  order  steadily  to  the  front,  sweep 
ing  every  thing  before  it,  and  at  4  p.  M.  we  stood  upon  the  ground  of  our 
original  front  line  ;  and  the  enemy  was  in  full  retreat.  I  directed  my  sev 
eral  brigades  to  resume  at  once  their  original  camps. 

Several  time's  during  the  battle,  cartridges  gave  out;  but  General  Grant 
had  thoughtfully  kept  a  supply  coming  from  the  rear.  "When  I  appealed  to 
regiments  to  stand  fast,  although  out  of  cartridges,  I  did  so  because,  to  re 
tire  a  regiment  for  any  cause,  has  a  bad  effect  on  others.  I  commend  the 
Fortieth  Illinois  and  Thirteenth  Missouri  for  thus  holding  their  ground 
under  heavy  fire,  although  their  cartridge-boxes  were  empty. 

I  am  ordered  by  General  Grant  to  give  personal  credit  where  I  think  it  is 
due,  and  censure  where  I  think  it  merited.  I  concede  that  General  McCook's 
splendid  division  from  Kentucky  drove  back  the  enemy  along  the  Corinth 
road,  which  was  the  great  centre  of  this  field  of  battle,  where  Beauregard 
commanded  in  person,  supported  by  Bragg's,  Folk's,  and  Breckenridge's 
divisions.  I  think  Johnston  was  killed  by  exposing  himself  in  front  of  his 
troops,  at  the  time  of  their  attack  on  Buckland's  brigade  on  Sunday  morn 
ing  ;  although  in  this  I  may  be  mistaken. 

My  division  was  made  up  of  regiments  perfectly  new,  nearly  all  having 
received  their  muskets  for  the  first  time  at  Paducah.  None  of  them  had 
ever  been  under  fire  or  beheld  heavy  columns  of  an  enemy  bearing  down 
on  them  as  they  did  on  last  Sunday. 

To  expect  of  them  the  coolness  and  steadiness  of  older  troops  would  be 
wrong.  They  knew  not  the  value  of  combination  and  organization.  When 
individual  fears  seized  them,  the  first  impulse  was  to  get  away.  My  third 
brigade  did  break  much  too  soon,  and  I  am  not  yet  advised  where  they 
were  during  Sunday  afternoon  and  Monday  morning.  Colonel  Hildebrand, 
its  commander,  was  as  cool  as  any  man  I  ever  saw,  and  no  one  could  have 
made  stronger  efforts  to  hold  his  men  to  their  places  than  he  did.  He  kept 
his  own  regiment  with  individual  exceptions  in  hand,  an  hour  after  Ap 
pier's  and  Mungen's  regiments  had  left  their  proper  field  of  action.  Colonel 
Buckland  managed  his  brigade  well.  I  commend  him  to  your  notice  as  a 
cool,  intelligent,  and  judicious  gentleman,  needing  only  confidence  and  ex 
perience  to  make  a  good  commander.  His  subordinates,  Colonels  Sullivan 
and  Cockerill,  behaved  with  great  gallantry ;  the  former  receiving  a  severe 
wound  on  Sunday,  and  yet  commanding  and  holding  his  regiment  well  in 
hand  all  day,  and  on  Monday,  until  his  right  arm  was  broken  by  a  shot. 
Colonel  Cockerill  held  a  larger  proportion  of  his  men  than  any  colonel  in 
my  division,  and  was  with  me  from  first  to  last. 

Colonel  J.  A.  McDowell,  commanding  the  first  brigade,  held  his  ground 
on  Sunday,  till  I  ordered  him  to  fall  back,  which  he  did  in  line  of  battle ; 
and  when  ordered,  he  conducted  the  attack  on  the  enemy's  left  in  good 
style.  In  falling  back  to  the  next  position,  he  was  thrown  from  his  horse 
and  injured,  and  his  brigade  was  not  in  position  on  Monday  morning.  His 


1862.] 


BATTLE   OF  SHILOH. 


241 


subordinates,  Colonels  Hicks  and  Worthington,  displayed  great  personal 
courage.  Colonel  Hicks  led  his  regiment  in  the  attack  on  Sunday,  and  re 
ceived  a  wound,  which  it  is  feared  may  prove  mortal.  He  is  a  brave  and 
gallant  gentleman,  and  deserves  well  of  his  country.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Walcutt,  of  the  Ohio  Forty-sixth,  was  severely  wounded  on  Sunday,  and 
has  been  disabled  ever  since.  My  second  brigade,  Colonel  Stuart,  was 
detached  nearly  two  miles  from  my  headquarters.  He  had  to  fight  his  own 
battle  on  Sunday,  against  superior  numbers,  as  the  enemy  interposed  be 
tween  him  and  General  Prentiss  early  in  the  day.  Colonel  Stuart  was 
wounded  severely,  and  yet  reported  for  duty  on  Monday  morning,  but  was 
compelled  to  leave  during  the  day,  when  the  command  devolved  on  Colonel 
T.  Kilby  Smith,  who  was  always  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  led  the 
brigade  handsomely. 

I  have  not  yet  received  Colonel  Stuart's  report  of  the  operations  of  his 
brigade  during  the  time  he  was  detached,  and  must  therefore  forbear  to 
mention  names.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kyle,  of  the  Seventy-first,  was  mortally 
wounded  on  Sunday,  but  the  regiment  itself  I  did  not  see,  as  only  a  small 
fragment  of  it  was  with  the  brigade  when  it  joined  the  division  on  Mon 
day  morning.  Great  credit  is  due  the  fragments  of  men  of  the  disordered 
regiments  who  kept  in  the  advance.  I  observed  and  noticed  them,  but 
until  the  brigadiers  and  colonels  make  their  reports,  I  cannot  venture  to 
name  individuals,  but  will  in  due  season  notice  all  who  kept  in  our  front 
line,  as  well  as  those  who  preferred  to  keep  back  near  the  steamboat-land 
ing.  I  will  also  send  a  full  list  of  the  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  by 
name,  rank,  company,  and  regiment.  At  present  I  submit  the  result  in 
figures : 


REGIMENTS,  Em 

TTTT.T.TCTI, 

WOUNDED. 

MISSING. 

Officers. 

Men. 

Offic«rs. 

Men. 

Officers. 

Men. 

2 

1 
2 
1 
2 
1 
1 
2 

49 
42 
82 
45 
22 
12 
48 
7 
7 
13 
13 
9 

i 

i 
i 

8 
7 
3 
8 
5 

7 

5 
3 
1 

a 

117 
148 
147 
1S3 
128 
52 
107 
82 
89 
85 
70 
53 

'5 

14 

1 

8 

1 
1 

89 
2 
52 
41 
82 
45 
53 
83 
5 
49 
45 
89 

435 

Fortieth  Illinois  

Forty-sixth  Ohio  

Fifty-fifth  Illinois  

Fifty-fourth  Ohio  

Seventy-first  Ohio  

Seventy  -seventh  Ohio  

Fifty-seventh  Ohio  

Fifty-third  Ohio  .            

Seventy-second  Ohio  

2 

1 

Forty-eighth  Ohio  

Seventieth  Ohio  

Taylor's  battery,  no  report  

Behr's  

1 

Barrett's  

Waterhouse's  

Orderly  Holliday  

Total  

16 

302 

45 

1,230 

6 

16 


242                                 BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

WSCAPmnLATIOW. 

Officers  killed 16 

Officers  wounded 46 

Officers  missing 6 

Soldiers  killed 802 

Soldiers  wounded 1,280 

Soldiers  missing 435 


Aggregate  loss  in  the  division 2,034 

The  enemy  captured  seven  of  our  guns  on  Sunday,  but  on  Monday 
we  recovered  seven;  not  the  identical  guns  we  had  lost,  but  enough  in 
number  to  balance  the  account.  At  the  time  of  recovering  our  camps  our 
men  were  so  fatigued  that  we  could  not  follow  the  retreating  masses  of  the 
enemy ;  but  on  the  following  day  I  followed  up  with  Buckland's  and  Hil- 
debrand's  brigade  for  six  miles,  the  result  of  which  I  have  already  reported. 

Of  my  personal  staff,  I  can  only  speak  with  praise  and  thanks.  I  think 
they  smelled  as  much  gunpowder  and  heard  as  many  cannon-balls  and  bullets 
as  must  satisfy  their  ambition.  Captain  Hammond,  my  chief  of  staff,  though 
in  feeble  health,  was  very  active  in  rallying  broken  troops,  encouraging  the 
steadfast  and  aiding  to  form  the  lines  of  defense  and  attack.  I  recommend 
him  to  your  notice.  Major  Sanger's  intelligence,  quick  perception,  and  rapid 
execution,  were  of  very  great  value  to  me,  especially  in  bringing  into  line 
the  batteries  that  cooperated  so  efficiently  in  our  movements.  Captains 
McCoy  and  Dayton,  aides-de-camp,  were  with  me  all  the  time,  carrying 
orders,  and  acting  with  coolness,  spirit,  and  courage.  To  Surgeon  Harts- 
horne  and  Dr.  L'Hommedieu  hundreds  of  wounded  men  are  indebted  for 
the  kind  and  excellent  treatment  received  on  the  field  of  battle  and  in  the 
various  temporary  hospitals  created  along  the  line  of  our  operations.  They 
worked  day  and  night,  and  did  not  rest  till  all  the  wounded  of  our  own 
troops  as  well  as  of  the  enemy  were  in  safe  and  comfortable  shelter.  To 
Major  Taylor,  chief  of  artillery,  I  feel  under  deep  obligations,  for  his  good 
sense  and  judgment  in  managing  the  batteries,  on  which  so  much  depended. 
I  inclose  his  report  and  indorse  his  recommendations.  The  cavalry  of  my 
command  kept  to  the  rear,  and  took  little  part  in  the  action ;  but  it  would 
have  been  madness  to  have  exposed  horses  to  the  musketry-fire  under  which 
we  were  compelled  to  remain  from  Sunday  at  8  A.  M.  till  Monday  at  4  p.  M. 

Captain  Kossack,  of  the  engineers,  was  with  me  all  the  time,  and  was  of 
great  assistance.  I  inclose  his  sketch  of  the  battle-field,  which  is  the  best  I 
have  seen,  and  which  will  enable  you  to  see  the  various  positions  occupied 
by  my  division,  as  well  as  of  the  others  that  participated  in  the  battle.  I 
will  also  send  in,  during  the  day,  the  detailed  reports  of  my  brigadiers  and 
colonels,  and  will  indorse  them  with  such  remarks  as  I  deem  proper. 
I  am,  with  much  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHEBMAX, 
Brigadier- General  commanding  Fifth  Division. 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  243 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  DIVISION,  ) 
Tuesday,  April  8,  1862.      ) 

SIR  :  With  the  cavalry  placed  at  my  command  and  two  brigades  of  my 
fatigued  troops,  I  went  this  morning  out  on  the  Corinth  road.  One  after 
another  of  the  abandoned  camps  of  the  enemy  lined  the  roads,  with  hospital- 
flags  for  their  protection ;  at  all  we  found  more  or  less  wounded  and  dead 
men.  At  the  forks  of  the  road  I  found  the  head  of  General  T.  J.  Wood's 
division  of  Buell's  Army.  I  ordered  cavalry  to  examine  both  roads  leading 
toward  Corinth,  and  found  the  enemy  on  both.  Colonel  Dickey,  of  the  Fourth 
Illinois  Cavalry,  asking  for  reenforcements,  I  ordered  General  Wood  to  ad 
vance  the  head  of  his  column  cautiously  on  the  left-hand  road,  while  I  con 
ducted  the  head  of  the  third  brigade  of  my  division  up  the  right-hand  road. 
About  half  -a  mile  from  the  forks  was  a  clear  field,  through  which  the  road 
passed,  and,  immediately  beyond,  a  space  of  some  two  hundred  yards  of 
fallen  timber,  and  beyond  that  an  extensive  rebel  camp.  The  enemy's  cav 
alry  could  be  seen  in  this  camp ;  after  reconnoissance,  I  ordered  the  two 
advance  companies  of  the  Ohio  Seventy-seventh,  Colonel  Hildebrand,  to 
deploy  forward  as  skirmishers,  and  the  regiment  itself  forward  into  line, 
with  an  interval  of  one  hundred  yards.  In  this  order  we  advanced  cautiously 
until  the  skirmishers  were  engaged.  Taking  it  for  granted  this  disposition 
would  clear  the  camp,  I  held  Colonel  Dickey's  Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry  ready 
for  the  charge.  The  enemy's  cavalry  came  down  boldly  at  a  charge,  led  by 
General  Forrest  in  person,  breaking  through  our  line  of  skirmishers ;  when 
the  regiment  of  infantry,  without  cause,  broke,  threw  away  their  muskets, 
and  fled.  The  ground  was  admirably  adapted  for  a  defense  of  infantry 
against  cavalry,  being  miry  and  covered  with  fallen  timber. 

As  the  regiment  of  infantry  broke,  Dickey's  Cavalry  began  to  discharge 
their  carbines,  and  fell  into  disorder.  I  instantly  sent  orders  to  the  rear  for 
the  brigade  to  form  line  of  battle,  which  was  promptly  executed.  The 
broken  infantry  and  cavalry  rallied  on  this  line,  and,  as  the  enemy's  cavalry 
came  to  it,  our  cavalry  in  turn  charged  and  drove  them  from  the  field.  I 
advanced  the  entire  brigade  over  the  same  ground  and  sent  Colonel  Dickey's 
cavalry  a  mile  farther  on  the  road.  On  examining  the  ground  which  had 
been  occupied  by  the  Seventy-seventh  Ohio,  we  found  fifteen  of  our  men 
dead  and  about  twenty-five  wounded.  I  sent  for  wagons  and  had  all  the 
wounded  carried  back  to  camp,  and  caused  the  dead  to  be  buried,  also  the 
whole  rebel  camp  to  be  destroyed. 

Here  we  found  much  ammunition  for  field-pieces,  which  was  destroyed ; 
also  two  caissons,  and  a  general  hospital,  with  about  two  hundred  and  eighty 
Confederate  wounded,  and  about  fifty  of  our  own  wounded  men.  Not 
having  the  means  of  bringing  them  off,  Colonel  Dickey,  by  my  orders,  took 
a  surrender,  signed  by  the  medical  director  (Lyle)  and  by  all  the  attending 
surgeons,  and  a  pledge  to  report  themselves  to  you  as  prisoners  of  war ;  also 
a  pledge  that  our  wounded  should  be  carefully  attended  to,  and  surrendered 


244  BATTLE  OF  SHILOII.  [1862. 

to  us  to-morrow  as  soon  as  ambulances  could  go  out.  I  inclese  this  written 
document,  and  request  that  you  cause  wagons  or  ambulances  for  our  wound 
ed  to  be  sent  to-morrow,  and  that  wagons  be  sent  to  bring  in  the  many 
tents  belonging  to  us  which  are  pitched  along  the  road  for  four  miles 
out.  I  did  not  destroy  them,  because  I  knew  the  enemy  could  not  move 
them.  The  roads  are  very  bad,  and  are  strewed  with  abandoned  wagons, 
ambulances,  and  limber-boxes.  The  enemy  has  succeeded  in  carrying  off 
the  guns,  but  has  crippled  his  batteries  by  abandoning  the  hind  limber- 
boxes  of  at  least  twenty  caissons.  I  am  satisfied  the  enemy's  infantry 
and  artillery  passed  Lick  Creek  this  morning,  traveling  all  of  last  night, 
and  that  he  left  to  his  rear  all  his  cavalry,  which  has  protected  his 
retreat ;  but  signs  of  confusion  and  disorder  mark  the  whole  road.  The 
check  sustained  by  us  at  the  fallen  timber  delayed  our  advance,  so  that  night 
came  upon  us  before  the  wounded  were  provided  for  and  the  dead  buried, 
and  our  troops  being  fagged  out  by  three  days'  hard  fighting,  exposure,  and 
privation,  I  ordered  them  back  to  their  camps,  where  they  now  are. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN, 
Brigadier- General  commanding  Division. 

General  Grant  did  not  make  an  official  report  of  the  battle 
of  Shiloh,  but  all  its  incidents  and  events  were  covered  by  the 
reports  of  division  commanders  and  subordinates.  Probably  no 
single  battle  of  the  war  gave  rise  to  such  wild  and  damaging  re 
ports.  It  was  publicly  asserted  at  the  North  that  our  army  was 
taken  completely  by  surprise ;  that  the  rebels  caught  us  in  our 
tents ;  bayoneted  the  men  in  their  beds ;  that  General  Grant  was 
drunk ;  that  Buell's  opportune  arrival  saved  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  from  utter  annihilation,  etc.  These  reports  were  in  a 
measure  sustained  by  the  published  opinions  of  Generals  Buell, 
Nelson,  and  others,  who  had  reached  the  steamboat-landing 
from  the  east,  just  before  nightfall  of  the  6th,  when  there  was 
a  large  crowd  of  frightened,  stampeded  men,  who  clamored  and 
declared  that  our  army  was  all  destroyed  and  beaten.  Per 
sonally  I  saw  General  Grant,  who  with  his  staff  visited  me  about 
10  A.  M.  of  the  6th,  when  we  were  desperately  engaged.  But 
we  had  checked  the  headlong  assault  of  our  enemy,  and  then 
held  our  ground.  This  gave  him  great  satisfaction,  and  he  told 
me  that  things  did  not  look  as  well  over  on  the  left.  He  also 
told  me  that  on  his  way  up  from  Savannah  that  morning  he 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  245 

had  stopped  at  Crump's  Landing,  and  had  ordered  Lew  "Wallace's 
division  to  cross  over  Lick  Creek,  so  as  to  come  up  on  my  right, 
telling  me  to  look  out  for  him.  He  again  came  to  me  just  be 
fore  dark,  and  described  the  last  assault  made  by  the  rebels  at 
the  ravine,  near  the  steamboat-landing,  which  he  had  repelled 
by  a  heavy  battery  collected  under  Colonel  J.  D.  Webster  and 
other  officers,  and  he  was  convinced  that  the  battle  was  over  for 
that  day.  He  ordered  me  to  be  ready  to  assume  the  offen 
sive  in  the  morning,  saying  that,  as  he  had  observed  at  Fort 
Donelson  at  the  crisis  of  the  battle,  both  sides  seemed  defeated, 
and  whoever  assumed  the  offensive  was  sure  to  win.  General 
Grant  also  explained  to  me  that  General  Buell  had  reached  the 
bank  of  the  Tennessee  River  opposite  Pittsburg  Landing,  and 
was  in  the  act  of  ferrying  his  troops  across  at  the  time  he  was 
speaking  to  me. 

About  half  an  hour  afterward  General  Buell  himself  rode 
up  to  where  I  was,  accompanied  by  Colonels  Fry,  Michler, 
and  others  of  his  staff.  I  was  dismounted  at  the  time,  and  Gen 
eral  Buell  made  of  me  a  good  many  significant  inquiries  about 
matters  and  things  generally.  By  the  aid  of  a  manuscript 
map  made  by  myself,  I  pointed  out  to  him  our  positions  as 
they  had  been  in  the  morning,  and  our  then  positions ;  I  also 
explained  to  him  that  my  right  then  covered  the  bridge  over  Lick 
Creek  by  which  we  had  all  day  been  expecting  Lew  "Wallace ; 
that  McClernand  was  on  my  left,  Hurlbut  on  his  left,  and  so  on. 
But  Buell  said  he  had  come  up  from  the  landing,  and  had  not 
seen  our  men,  of  whose  existence  in  fact  he  seemed  to  doubt. 
I  insisted  that  I  had  five  thousand  good  men  still  left  in  line, 
and  thought  that  McClernand  had  as  many  more,  and  that  with 
what  was  left  of  Hurlbut' s,  "W.  H.  L.  "Wallace's,  and  Prentiss's 
divisions,  we  ought  to  have  eighteen  thousand  men  fit  for 
battle.  I  reckoned  that  ten  thousand  of  our  men  were  dead, 
wounded,  or  prisoners,  and  that  the  enemy's  loss  could  not  be 
much  less.  Buell  said  that  Kelson's,  McCook's,  and  Crittenden's  • 
divisions  of  his  army,  containing  eighteen  thousand  men,  had 
arrived  and  could  cross  over  in  the  night,  and  be  ready  for  the 
next  day's  battle.  I  argued  that  with  these  reinforcements  we 


246  BATTLE   OF  SHILOH.  [1862. 

could  sweep  the  field.  Buell  seemed  to  mistrust  us,  and  re 
peatedly  said  that  he  did  not  like  the  looks  of  things,  espe 
cially  about  the  boat-landing,  and  I  really  feared  he  would 
not  cross  over  his  army  that  night,  lest  he  should  become  in 
volved  in  our  general  disaster.  He  did  not,  of  course,  under 
stand  the  shape  of  the  ground,  and  asked  me  for  the  use  of  my 
map,  which  I  lent  him  on  the  promise  that  he  would  return  it. 
He  handed  it  to  Major  Michler  to  have  it  copied,  and  the  origi 
nal  returned  to  me,  which  Michler  did  two  or  three  days  after 
the  battle.  Buell  did  cross  over  that  night,  and  the  next  day  we 
assumed  the  offensive  and  swept  the  field,  thus  gaining  the 
battle  decisively.  Nevertheless,  the  controversy  was  started  and 
kept  up,  mostly  to  the  personal  prejudice  of  General  Grant,  who 
as  usual  maintained  an  imperturbable  silence. 

After  the  battle,  a  constant  stream  of  civilian  surgeons,  and 
sanitary  commission  agents,  men  and  women,  came  up  the  Ten 
nessee  to  bring  relief  to  the  thousands  of  maimed  and  wounded 
soldiers  for  whom  we  had  imperfect  means  of  shelter  and  care. 
These  people  caught  up  the  camp-stories,  which  on  their  return 
home  they  retailed  through  their  local  papers,  usually  elevating 
their  own  neighbors  into  heroes,  but  decrying  all  others.  Among 
them  was  Lieutenant-Governor  Stanton,  of  Ohio,  who  published 
in  Belf  ontaine,  Ohio,  a  most  abusive  article  about  General  Grant 
and  his  subordinate  generals.  As  General  Grant  did  not  and 
would  not  take  up  the  cudgels,  I  did  so.  My  letter  in  reply  to 
Stanton,  dated  June  10,  1862,  was  published  in  the  Cincinnati 
Commercial  soon  after  its  date.  To  this  Lieutenant-Governor 
Stanton  replied,  and  I  further  rejoined  in  a  letter  dated  July 
12, 1862.  These  letters  are  too  personal  to  be  revived.  By  this 
time  the  good  people  of  the  North  had  begun  to  have  their  eyes 
opened,  and  to  give  us  in  the  field  more  faith  and  support. 
Stanton  was  never  again  elected  to  any  public  office,  and  was 
commonly  spoken  of  as  "  the  late  Mr.  Stanton."  He  is  now 
dead,  and  I  doubt  not  in  life  he  often  regretted  his  mistake  in 
attempting  to  gain  popular  fame  by  abusing  the  army-leaders, 
then  as  now  an  easy  and  favorite  mode  of  gaining  notoriety,  if 
not  popularity.  Of  course,  subsequent  events  gave  General 


1862.]  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH.  247 

Grant  and  most  of  the  other  actors  in  that  battle  their  appropri 
ate  place  in  history,  but  the  danger  of  sudden  popular  clamors 
is  well  illustrated  by  this  case. 

Tho  battle  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  was  one  of  the 
most  fiercely  contested  of  the  war.  On  the  morning  of  April  6, 
1862,  the  five  divisions  of  McClernand,  Prentiss,  Hurlbut,  W.  H. 
L.  Wallace,  and  Sherman,  aggregated  about  thirty-two  thousand 
men.  "We  had  no  intrenchments  of  any  sort,  on  the  theory  that 
as  soon  as  Buell  arrived  we  would  march  to  Corinth  to  attack  the 
enemy.  The  rebel  army,  commanded  by  General  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston,  was,  according  to  their  own  reports  and  admissions, 
forty-five  thousand  strong,  had  the  momentum  of  attack,  and 
beyond  all  question  fought  skillfully  from  early  morning  till 
about  2  P.  M.,  when  their  commander-in-chief  was  killed  by  a 
Minie-ball  in  the  calf  of  his  leg,  which  penetrated  the  boot  and 
severed  the  main  artery.  There  was  then  a  perceptible  lull  for 
a  couple  of  hours,  when  the  attack  was  renewed,  but  with  much 
less  vehemence,  and  continued  up  to  dark.  Early  at  night  the 
division  of  Lew  Wallace  arrived  from  the  other  side  of  Snake 
Creek,  not  having  fired  a  shot.  A  very  small  part  of  General 
Buell' s  army  was  on  our  side  of  the  Tennessee  Eiver  that 
evening,  and  their  loss  was  trivial. 

During  that  night,  the  three  divisions  of  McCook,  Nelson, 
and  Crittenden,  were  ferried  across  the  Tennessee,  and  fought 
with  us  the  next  day  (7th).  During  that  night,  also,  the 
two  wooden  gunboats,  Tyler,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Gwin, 
and  Lexington,  Lieutenant  Shirk,  both  of  the  regular  navy, 
caused  shells  to  be  thrown  toward  that  part  of  the  field  of  battle 
known  to  be  occupied  by  the  enemy.  Beauregard  afterward  re 
ported  his  entire  loss  as  ten  thousand  six  hundred  and  ninety-nine. 
Our  aggregate  loss,  made  up  from  official  statements,  shows  sev 
enteen  hundred  killed,  seven  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety- 
five  wounded,  and  three  thousand  and  twenty-two  prisoners ;  ag 
gregate,  twelve  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventeen,  of  which 
twenty-one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  were  in  Buell's  army,  leav 
ing  for  that  of  Grant  ten  thousand  and  fifty.  This  result  is  a 
fair  measure  of  the  amount  of  fighting  done  by  each  army. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SHILOH     TO     MEMPHIS. 
APRIL  TO  JTJLY,  1862. 

WHILE  the  u  Army  of  the  Tennessee,"  under  Generals  Grant 
and  C.  F.  Smith,  was  operating  up  the  Tennessee  River,  another 
force,  styled  the  "  Army  of  the  Mississippi,"  commanded  by  Ma 
jor-General  John  Pope,  was  moving  directly  down  the  Missis- 
srppi  River,  against  that  portion  of  the  rebel  line  which,  under 
Generals  Polk  and  Pillow,  had  fallen  back  from  Columbus, 
Kentucky,  to  Island  Number  Ten  and  New  Madrid.  This  army 
had  the  full  cooperation  of  the  gunboat  fleet,  commanded  by 
Admiral  Foote,  and  was  assisted  by  the  high  flood  of  that  season, 
which  enabled  General  Pope,  by  great  skill  and  industry,  to  open 
a  canal  from  a  point  above  Island  Number  Ten  to  New  Madrid 
below,  by  which  he  interposed  between  the  rebel  army  and  its  • 
available  line  of  supply  and  retreat.  At  the  very  time  that  we 
were  fighting  the  bloody  battle  on  the  Tennessee  River,  General 
Pope  and  Admiral  Foote  were  bombarding  the  batteries  on 
Island  Number  Ten,  and  the  Kentucky  shore  abreast  of  it ;  and 
General  Pope  having  crossed  over  by  steamers  a  part  of  his 
army  to  the  east  bank,  captured  a  large  part  of  this  rebel  army, 
at  and  near  Tiptonville. 

General  Halleck  still  remained  at  St.  Louis,  whence  he  gave 
general  directions  to  the  armies  of  General  Curtis,  General 
Grant,  and  General  Pope ;  and  instead  of  following  up  his  most 
important  and  brilliant  successes  directly  down  the  Mississippi, 
he  concluded  to  bring  General  Pope's  army  around  to  the  Ten- 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  249 

nessee,  and  to  come  in  person  to  command  there.  The  gunboat 
fleet  pushed  on  down  the  Mississippi,  but  was  brought  up  again 
all  standing  by  the  heavy  batteries  at  Fort  Pillow,  about  fifty 
miles  above  Memphis.  About  this  time  Admiral  Farragut, 
with  another  large  sea-going  fleet,  and  with  the  cooperating 
army  of  General  Butler,  was  entering  the  Mississippi  River  by 
the  Passes,  and  preparing  to  reduce  Forts  Jackson  and  St. 
Philip  in  order  to  reach  New  Orleans ;  so  that  all  minds  were 
turned  to  the  conquest  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  surely 
adequate  means  were  provided  for  the  undertaking. 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  had  been  fought,  as  described,  on  the 
6th  and  7th  of  April ;  and  when  the  movement  of  the  8th  had 
revealed  that  our  enemy  was  gone,  in  full  retreat,  leaving  killed, 
wounded,  and  much  property  by  the  way,  we  all  experienced  a 
feeling  of  relief.  The  struggle  had  been  so  long,  so  desperate 
and  bloody,  that  the  survivors  seemed  exhausted  and  nerveless ; 
we  appreciated  the  value  of  the  victory,  but  realized  also  its  great 
cost  of  life.  The  close  of  the  battle  had  left  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  on  the  right,  and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  on  the  left ; 
but  I  believe  neither  General  Grant  nor  Buell  exercised  com 
mand,  the  one  over  the  other ;  each  of  them  having  his  hands  full 
in  repairing  damages.  All  the  division,  brigade,  and  regimental 
commanders  were  busy  in  collecting  stragglers,  regaining  lost 
property,  in  burying  dead  men  and  horses,  and  in  providing  for 
their  wounded.  Some  few  new  regiments  came  forward,  and 
some  changes  of  organization  became  necessary.  Then,  or  very 
soon  after,  I  consolidated  my  four  brigades  into  three,  which 
were  commanded :  First,  Brigadier-General  Morgan  L.  Smith  ; 
Second,  Colonel  John  A.  McDowell ;  Third,  Brigadier-General 
J.  "W.  Denver.  About  the  same  time  I  was  promoted  to  major- 
general  of  volunteers. 

The  Seventy-first  Ohio  was  detached  to  Clarksville,  Tennes 
see,  and  the  Sixth  and  Eighth  Missouri  were  transferred  to  my 
division. 

In  a  few  days  after  the  battle,  General  Halleck  arrived  by 
steamboat  from  St.  Louis,  pitched  his  camp  near  the  steamboat- 
landing,  and  assumed  personal  command  of  all  the  armies.  He 


250  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

was  attended  by  his  staff,  composed  of  General  G.  "W.  Cullum, 
U.  S.  Engineers,  as  his  chief  of  staff;  Colonel  George  Thorn,  U. 
S.  Engineers ;  and  Colonels  Kelton  and  Kemper,  adjutants-gen 
eral.  It  soon  became  manifest  that  his  mind  had  been  preju 
diced  by  the  rumors  which  had  gone  forth  to  the  detriment  of 
General  Grant ;  for  in  a  few  days  he  issued  an  order,  reorgan 
izing  and  rearranging  the  whole  army.  General  Buell's  Army 
of  the  Ohio  constituted  the  centre;  General  Pope's  army,  then 
arriving  at  Hamburg  Landing,  was  the  left ;  the  right  was  made 
up  of  mine  and  Hurlbut's  divisions,  belonging  to  the  old  Army 
of  the  Tennessee,  and  two  new  ones,  made  up  from  the  frag 
ments  of  the  divisions  of  Prentiss  and  C.  F.  Smith,  and  of 
troops  transferred  thereto,  commanded  by  Generals  T.  W.  Sher 
man  and  Davies.  General  George  H.  Thomas  was  taken  from 
Buell,  to  command  the  right.  McClernand's  and  Lew  Wallace's 
divisions  were  styled  the  reserve,  to  be  commanded  by  McCler- 
nand.  General  Grant  was  substantially  left  out,  and  was  named 
u  second  in  command,"  according  to  some  French  notion,  with  no 
clear,  well-defined  command  or  authority.  He  still  retained  his 
old  staff,  composed  of  Rawlins,  adjutant-general ;  Riggin,  Lagow, 
and  Hilyer,  aides ;  and  he  had  a  small  company  of  the  Fourth 
Illinois  Cavalry  as  an  escort.  For  more  than  a  month  he  thus 
remained,  without  any  apparent  authority,  frequently  visiting  me 
and  others,  and  rarely  complaining ;  but  I  could  see  that  he  felt 
deeply  the  indignity,  if  not  insult,  heaped  upon  him. 

General  Thomas  at  once  assumed  command  of  the  right 
wing,  and,  until  we  reached  Corinth,  1  served  immediately  un 
der  his  command.  "We  were  classmates,  intimately  acquainted, 
had  served  together  before  in  the  old  army,  and  in  Kentucky, 
and  it  made  to  us  little  difference  who  commanded  the  other, 
provided  the  good  cause  prevailed. 

Corinth  was  about  thirty  miles  distant,  and  we  all  knew  that 
we  should  find  there  the  same  army  with  which  we  had  so  fiercely 
grappled  at  Shiloh,  reorganized,  reenforced,  and  commanded  in 
chief  by  General  Beauregard  in  place  of  Johnston,  who  had 
fallen  at  Shiloh.  But  we  were  also  reenforced  by  Buell's  and 
Pope's  armies ;  so  that  before  the  end  of  April  our  army  ex- 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  251 

tended  from  Snake  River  on  the  right  to  the  Tennessee  River, 
at  Hamburg,  on  the  left,  and  must  have  numbered  nearly  one 
hundred  thousand  men. 

Ample  supplies  of  all  kinds  reached  us  by  the  Tennessee 
River,  which  had  a  good  stage  of  water ;  but  our  wagon  trans 
portation  was  limited,  and  much  confusion  occurred  in  haul 
ing  supplies  to  the  several  camps.  JBy  the  end  of  April,  the 
several  armies  seemed  to  be  ready,  and  the  general  forward 
movement  on  Corinth  began.  My  division  was  on  the  extreme 
right  of  the  right  wing,  and  marched  out  by  the  "  "White  House," 
leaving  Monterey  or  Pea  Ridge  to  the  south.  Crossing  Lick 
Creek,  we  came  into  the  main  road  about  a  mile  south  of  Mon 
terey,  where  we  turned  square  to  the  right,  and  came  into  the 
Purdy  road,  near  "Elams."  Thence  we  followed  the  Purdy 
road  to  Corinth,  my  skirmishers  reaching  at  all  times  the  Mo 
bile  &  .Ohio  Railroad.  Of  course  our  marches  were  gov 
erned  by  the  main  centre,  which  followed  the  direct  road  from 
Pittsburg  Landing  to  Corinth ;  and  this  movement  was  provok- 
ingly  slow.  We  fortified  almost  every  camp  at  night,  though 
we  had  encountered  no  serious  opposition,  except  from  cavalry, 
which  gave  ground  easily  as  we  advanced.  The  opposition 
increased  as  we  neared  Corinth,  and  at  a  place  called  Russell's 
we  had  a  sharp  affair  of  one  brigade,  under  the  immediate  di 
rection  of  Brigadier-General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  assisted  by  the 
brigade  of  General  Denver.  This  affair  occurred  on  the  19th 
of  May,  and  our  line  was  then  within  about  two  miles  of  the 
northern  intrenchments  of  Corinth. 

On  the  27th  I  received  orders  from  General  Halleck  "  to 
send  a  force  the  next  day  to  drive  the  rebels  from  the  house  in 
our  front,  on  the  Corinth  road,  to  drive  in  their  pickets  as  far  as 
possible,  and  to  make  a  strong  demonstration  on  Corinth  itself ; " 
authorizing  me  to  call  on  any  adjacent  division  for  assistance. 

I  reconnoitred  the  ground  carefully,  and  found  that  the  main 
road  led  forward  along  the  fence  of  a  large  cotton-field  to  our 
right  front,  and  ascended  a  wooded  hill,  occupied  in  some  force 
by  the  enemy,  on  which  was  the  farm-house  referred  to  in 
General  Halleck's  orders.  At  the  farther  end  of  the  field  was  a 


252  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

double  log-house,  whose  chinking  had  been  removed;  so  that 
it  formed  a  good  block-house  from  which  the  enemy  could  fire 
on  any  person  approaching  from  our  quarter. 

General  Hurlbut's  division  was  on  my  immediate  left,  and 
General  McClernand's  reserve  on  our  right  rear.  I  asked  of 
each  the  assistance  of  a  brigade.  The  former  sent  General 
Yeatch's,  and  the  latter  General  John  A.  Logan's  brigade.  I 
asked  the  former  to  support  our  left  flank,  and  the  latter  our 
right  flank.  The  next  morning  early,  Morgan  L.  Smith's  brigade 
was  deployed  under  cover  on  the  left,  and  Denver's  on  the  right, 
ready  to  move  forward  rapidly  at  a  signal.  I  had  a  battery  of 
four  twenty-pound  Parrott  guns,  commanded  by  Captain  Silver- 
sparre.  Colonel  Ezra  Taylor,  chief  of  artillery,  had  two  of 
these  guns  moved  up  silently  by  hand  behind  a  small  knoll, 
from  the  crest  of  which  the  enemy's  block-house  and  position 
could  be  distinctly  seen;  when  all  were  ready,  these  guns 
were  moved  to  the  crest,  and  several  quick  rounds  were  fired  at 
the  house,  followed  after  an  interval  by  a  single  gun.  This  was 
the  signal  agreed  on,  and  the  troops  responded  beautifully, 
crossed  the  field  in  line  of  battle,  preceded  by  their  skirmishers 
who  carried  the  position  in  good  style,  and  pursued  the  enemy 
for  half  a  mile  beyond. 

The  main  line  halted  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  from  which 
we  could  look  over  the  parapets  of  the  rebel  works  at  Corinth, 
and  hear  their  drum  and  bugle  calls.  The  rebel  brigade  had 
evidently  been  taken  by  surprise  in  our  attack ;  it  soon  rallied 
and  came  back  on  us  with  the  usual  yell,  driving  in  our  skir 
mishers,  but  was  quickly  checked  when  it  came  within  range  of 
our  guns  and  line  of  battle.  Generals  Grant  and  Thomas  hap 
pened  to  be  with  me  during  this  affair,  and  were  well  pleased 
at  the  handsome  manner  in  which  the  troops  behaved.  That 
night  we  began  the  usual  entrenchments,  and  the  next  day 
brought  forward  the  artillery  and  the  rest  of  the  division,  which 
then  extended  from  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad,  at  Bowie  Hill 
Cut,  to  the  Corinth  &  Purdy  road,  there  connecting  with  Hurl 
but's  division.  That  night,  viz.,  May  29th,  we  heard  unusual 
sounds  in  Corinth,  the  constant  whistling  of  locomotives,  and 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  253 

soon  after  daylight  occurred  a  series  of  explosions  followed  by  a 
dense  amoke  rising  high  over  the  town.  There  was  a  telegraph 
line  connecting  iny  headquarters  with  those  of  General  Halleck, 
about  four  miles  off,  on  the  Hamburg  road.  I  inquired  if  he 
knew  the  cause  of  the  explosions  and  of  the  smoke,  and  he  an 
swered  to  "  advance  with  my  division  and  feel  the  enemy  if  still 
in  my  front."  I  immediately  dispatched  two  regiments  from 
each  of  my  three  brigades  to  feel  the  immediate  front,  and  in  a 
very  short  time  advanced  with  the  whole  division.  Each  brigade 
found  the  rebel  parapets  abandoned,  and  pushed  straight  for  the 
town,  which  lies  in  the  northeast  angle  of  intersection  of  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  and  Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroads.  Many 
buildings  had  been  burned  by  the  enemy  on  evacuation,  which 
had  begun  the  night  before  at  6  p.  M.,  and  continued  through 
the  night,  the  rear-guard  burning  their  magazine  at  the  time  of 
withdrawing,  about  daybreak.  Morgan  L.  Smith's  brigade  fol 
lowed  the  retreating  rear-guard  some  four  miles  to  the  Tuscum- 
bia  Bridge,  which  was  found  burned.  I  halted  the  other  brigades 
at  the  college,  about  a  mile  to  the  southwest  of  the  town,  where 
I  was  overtaken  by  General  Thomas  in  person. 

The  heads  of  all  the  columns  had  entered  the  rebel  lines 
about  the  same  time,  and  there  was  some  rather  foolish  clamor 
for  the  fii^t  honors,  but  in  fact  there  was  no  honor  in  the  event. 
Beauregard  had  made  a  clean  retreat  to  the  south,  and  was  only 
seriously  pursued  by  cavalry  from  General  Pope's  flank.  But 
he  reached  Tupelo,  where  he  halted  for  reorganization;  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  at  the  moment  there  was  much  disorgani 
zation  in  his  ranks,  for  the  woods  were  full  of  deserters  whom 
we  did  not  even  take  prisoners,  but  advised  them  to  make  their 
way  home  and  stay  there.  "We  spent  the  day  at  and  near  the 
college,  when  General  Thomas,  who  applied  for  orders  at  Hal- 
leek's  headquarters,  directed  me  to  conduct  my  division  back  to 
the  camp  of  the  night  before,  where  we  had  left  our  trains. 
The  advance  on  Corinth  had  occupied  all  of  the  month  of  May, 
the  most  beautiful  and  valuable  month  of  the  year  for  cam 
paigning  in  this  latitude.  There  had  been  little  fighting,  save 
on  General  Pope's  left  flank  about  Farmington;  and  on  our 


254  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

right  I  esteemed  it  a  magnificent  drill,  as  it  served  for 
the  instruction  of  our  men  in  guard  and  picket  duty,  and  in 
habituating  them  to  out-door  life;  and  by  the  time  we  had 
reached  Corinth  I  believe  that  army  was  the  best  then  on  this 
continent,  and  could  have  gone  where  it  pleased.  The  four 
subdivisions  were  well  commanded,  as  were  the  divisions  and 
brigades  of  the  whole  army.  General  Halleck  was  a  man  of 
great  capacity,  of  large  acquirements,  and  at  the  time  pos 
sessed  the  confidence  of  the  country,  and  of  most  of  the  army. 
I  held  him  in  high  estimation,  and  gave  him  credit  for  the 
combinations  which  had  resulted  in  placing  this  magnificent 
army  of  a  hundred  thousand  men,  well  equipped  and  provided, 
with  a  good  base,  at  Corinth,  from  which  he  could  move  in  any 
direction. 

Had  he  held  his  force  as  a  unit,  he  could  have  gone  to 
Mobile,  or  Yicksburg,  or  anywhere  in  that  region,  which  would 
by  one  move  have  solved  the  whole  Mississippi  problem ; 
and,  from  what  he  then  told  me,  I  believe  he  intended  such 
a  campaign,  but  was  overruled  from  Washington.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  the  army  had  no  sooner  settled  down  at  Corinth 
before  it  was  scattered :  General  Pope  was  called  to  the  East, 
and  his  army  distributed  among  the  others;  General  Thomas 
was  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  right  wing,  and  reassigned 
to  his  division  in  the  Army  of  the  Ohio ;  and  that  whole  army 
under  General  Buell  was  turned  east  along  the  Memphis  & 
Charleston  road,  to  march  for  Chattanooga.  McClernand's 
"  reserve  "  was  turned  west  to  Bolivar  and  Memphis.  General 
Halleck  took  post  himself  at  Corinth,  assigned  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  McPherson  to  take  charge  of  the  railroads,  with  instructions 
to  repair  them  as  far  as  Columbus,  Kentucky,  and  to  collect  cars 
and  locomotives  to  operate  them  to  Corinth  and  Grand  Junction. 
I  was  soon  dispatched  with  my  own  and  Hurlbut's  divisions 
northwest  fourteen  miles  to  Chewalla,  to  save  what  could  be  of 
any  value  out  of  six  trams  of  cars  belonging  to  the  rebels  which 
had  been  wrecked  and  partially  burned  at  the  time  of  the  evacu 
ation  of  Corinth. 

A  short  time  before  leaving  Corinth  I  rode  from  my  camp 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  255 

to  General  Halleck's  headquarters,  then  in  tents  just  outside  of 
the  town,  where  we  sat  and  gossiped  for  some  time,  when  he 
mentioned  to  me  casually  that  General  Grant  was  going  away 
the  next  morning.  I  inquired  the  cause,  and  he  said  that  he 
did  not  know,  but  that  Grant  had  applied  for  a  thirty  days' 
leave,  which  had  been  given  him.  Of  course  we  all  knew 
that  he  was  chafing  under  the  slights  of  his  anomalous  position, 
and  I  determined  to  see  him  on  my  way  back.  His  camp  was  a 
short  distance  off  the  Monterey  road,  in  the  woods,  and  con 
sisted  of  four  or  five  tents,  with  a  sapling  railing  around  the 
front.  As  I  rode  up,  Majors  Rawlins,  Lagow,  and  Hilyer,  were 
in  front  of  the  camp,  and  piled  up  near  them  were  the  usual  office 
and  camp  chests,  all  ready  for  a  start  in  the  morning.  I  inquired 
for  the  general,  and  was  shown  to  his  tent,  where  I  found  him 
seated  on  a  camp-stool,  with  papers  on  a  rude  camp-table ;  he 
seemed  to  be  employed  in  assorting  letters,  and  tying  them 
up  with  red  tape  into  convenient  bundles.  After  passing  the 
usual  compliments,  I  inquired  if  it  were  true  that  he  was  going 
away.  He  said,  "  Yes."  I  then  inquired  the  reason,  and  he  said : 
"  Sherman,  you  know.  You  know  that  I  am  in  the  way  here. 
I  have  stood  it  as  long  as  I  can,  and  can  endure  it  no  longer." 
I  inquired  where  he  was  going  to,  and  he  said,  "  St.  Louis."  I 
then  asked  if  he  had  any  business  there,  and  he  said,  "  Kot  a 
bit."  I  then  begged  him  to  stay,  illustrating  his  case  by  my 
own. 

Before  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  I  had  been  cast  down  by  a  mere 
newspaper  assertion  of  "  crazy ; "  but  that  single  battle  had  given 
me  new  life,  and  now  I  was  in  high  feather ;  and  I  argued  with 
him  that,  if  he  went  away,  events  would  go  right  along,  and  he 
would  be  left  out ;  whereas,  if  he  remained,  some  happy  accident 
might  restore  him  to  favor  and  his  true  place.  He  certainly 
appreciated  my  friendly  advice,  and  promised  to  wait  awhile  ; 
at  all  events,  not  to  go  without  seeing  me  again,  or  communi 
cating  with  me.  Yery  soon  after  this,  I  was  ordered  to  Che- 
walla,  where,  on  the  6th  of  June,  I  received  a  note  from  him, 
saying  that  he  had  reconsidered  his  intention,  and  would  remain. 
I  cannot  find  the  note,  but  my  answer  I  have  kept. 


256  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

CHEWALLA,  June  6, 1862. 
Major-  General  GBANT. 

MY  DEAE  SIB  :  I  have  just  received  your  note,  and  am  rejoiced  at  your 
conclusion  to  remain ;  for  you  could  not  be  quiet  at  home  for  a  week  when 
armies  were  moving,  and  rest  could  not  relieve  your  mind  of  the  gnawing 
sensation  that  injustice  had  been  done  you. 

My  orders  at  Chewalla  were  to  rescue  the  wrecked  trains 
there,  to  reconnoitre  westward  and  estimate  the  amount  of 
damage  to  the  railroad  as  far  as  Grand  Junction,  about  fifty 
miles.  We  camped  our  troops  on  high,  healthy  ground  to  the 
south  of  Chewalla,  and  after  I  had  personally  reconnoitred  the 
country,  details  of  men  were  made  and  volunteer  locomotive- 
engineers  obtained  to  superintend  the  repairs.  I  found  six  loco 
motives  and  about  sixty  cars,  thrown  from  the  track,  parts 
of  the  machinery  detached  and  hidden  in  the  surrounding 
swamp,  and  all  damaged  as  much  by  fire  as  possible.  It  seems 
that  these  trains  were  inside  of  Corinth  during  the  night  of 
evacuation,  loading  up  with  all  sorts  of  commissary  stores, 
etc.,  and  about  daylight  were  started  west;  but  the  cavalry- 
picket  stationed  at  the  Tuscumbia  bridge  had,  by  mistake  or 
panic,  burned  the  bridge  before  the  trains  got  to  them.  The 
trains,  therefore,  were  caught,  and  the  engineers  and  guards 
hastily  scattered  the  stores  into  the  swamp,  and  disabled  the 
trains  as  far  as  they  could,  before  our  cavalry  had  discovered 
their  critical  situation.  The  weather  was  hot,  and  the  swamp 
fairly  stunk  with  the  putrid  flour  and  fermenting  sugar  and 
molasses ;  I  was  so  much  exposed  there  in  the  hot  sun,  pushing 
forward  the  work,  that  I  got  a  touch  of  malarial  fever,  which 
hung  on  me  for  a  month,  and  forced  me  to  ride  two  days  in  an 
ambulance,  the  only  time  I  ever  did  such  a  thing  during  the 
whole  war.  By  the  7th  I  reported  to  General  Halleck  that  the 
amount  of  work  necessary  to  reestablish  the  railroad  between 
Corinth  and  Grand  Junction  was  so  great,  that  he  concluded 
not  to  attempt  its  repair,  but  to  rely  on  the  road  back  to  Jack 
son  (Tennessee),  and  forward  to  Grand  Junction  ;  and  I  was 
ordered  to  move  to  Grand  Junction,  to  take  up  the  repairs  from 
there  toward  Memphis. 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  257 

The  evacuation  of  Corinth  by  Beauregard,  and  the  move 
ments  of  General  McClernand's  force  toward  Memphis,  had  ne 
cessitated  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Pillow,  which  occurred  about 
June  1st ;  soon  followed  by  the  further  withdrawal  of  the  Con 
federate  army  from  Memphis,  by  reason  of  the  destruction  of 
the  rebel  gunboats  in  the  bold  and  dashing  attack  by  our  gun 
boats  under  command  of  Admiral  Davis,  who  had  succeeded 
Foote.  This  occurred  June  7th.  Admiral  Farragut  had  also 
captured  New  Orleans  after  the  terrible  passage  of  Forts  Jack 
son  and  St.  Philip  on  May  24th,  and  had  ascended  the  river 
as  high  as  Yicksburg ;  so  that  it  seemed  as  though,  before  the 
end  of  June,  we  should  surely  have  full  possession  of  the  whole 
river.  But  it  is  now  known  that  the  progress  of  our  Western 
armies  had  aroused  the  rebel  government  to  the  exercise  of  the 
most  stupendous  energy.  Every  man  capable  of  bearing  arms 
at  the  South  was  declared  to  be  a  soldier,  and  forced  to  act  as 
such.  All  their  armies  were  greatly  reenforced,  and  the  most 
despotic  power  was  granted  to  enforce  discipline  and  supplies. 
Beauregard  was  replaced  by  Bragg,  a  man  of  more  ability — of 
greater  powers  of  organization,  of  action,  and  discipline — but 
naturally  exacting  and  severe,  and  not  possessing  the  qualities 
to  attract  the  love  of  his  officers  and  men.  He  had  a  hard  task 
to  bring  into  order  and  discipline  that  mass  of  men  to  whose 
command  he  succeeded  at  Tupelo,  with  which  he  afterward 
fairly  outmanoeuvred  General  Buell,  and  forced  him  back  from 
Chattanooga  to  Louisville.  It  was  a  fatal  mistake,  however, 
that  halted  General  Halleck  at  Corinth,  and  led  him  to  dis 
perse  and  scatter  the  best  materials  for  a  fighting  army  that, 
up  to  that  date,  had  been  assembled  in  the  "West. 

During  the  latter  part  of  June  and  first  half  of  July,  I  had 
my  own  and  Hurlbut's  divisions  about  Grand  Junction,  La- 
grange,  Moscow,  and  Lafayette,  building  railroad-trestles  and 
bridges,  fighting  off  cavalry  detachments  coming  from  the  south, 
and  waging  an  everlasting  quarrel  with  planters  about  their  ne 
groes  and  fences — they  trying,  in  the  midst  of  moving  armies, 
to  raise  a  crop  of  corn.  On  the  17th  of  June  I  sent  a  detachment 
of  two  brigades,  under  General  M.  L.  Smith,  to  Holly  Springs, 
17 


258  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

in  the  belief  that  I  could  better  protect  the  railroad  from  some 
point  in  front  than  by  scattering  our  men  along  it ;  and,  on  the 
23d,  I  was  at  Lafayette  Station,  when  General  Grant,  with  his 
staff  and  a  very  insignificant  escort,  arrived  from  Corinth  en  route 
for  Memphis,  to  take  command  of  that  place  and  of  the  District 
of  West  Tennessee.  He  came  very  near  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy,  who  infested  the  whole  country  with  small  but 
bold  detachments  of  cavalry.  Up  to  that  time  I  had  received 
my  orders  direct  from  General  Halleck  at  Corinth,  but  soon 
after  I  fell  under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Grant, 
and  so  continued  to  the  end  of  the  war;  but,  on  the  29th, 
General  Halleck  notified  me  that  "  a  division  of  troops  under 
General  John  Hamilton,  of  '  Rosecrans's  army  corps,'  had 
passed  the  Hatchie  from  Corinth,"  and  was  destined  for  Holly 
Springs,  ordering  me  to  "  cooperate  as  far  as  advisable,"  but 
"  not  to  neglect  the  protection  of  the  road."  I  ordered  General 
Hurlbut  to  leave  detachments  at  Grand  Junction  and  Lagrange, 
and  to  march  for  Holly  Springs.  I  left  detachments  at  Moscow 
and  Lafayette,  and,  with  about  four  thousand  men,  marched  for 
the  same  point.  Hurlbut  and  I  met  at  Hudsonville,  and  thence 
marched  to  the  Coldwater,  within  four  miles  of  Holly  Springs. 
We  encountered  only  small  detachments  of  rebel  cavalry  un 
der  Colonels  Jackson  and  Pierson,  and  drove  them  into  and 
through  Holly  Springs ;  but  they  hung  about,  and  I  kept  an  in 
fantry  brigade  in  Holly  Springs  to  keep  them  out.  I  heard 
nothing  from  General  Hamilton  till  the  5th  of  July,  when  I  re 
ceived  a  letter  from  him  dated  Eienzi,  saying  that  he  had  been 
within  nineteen  miles  of  Holly  Springs  and  had  turned  back 
for  Corinth ;  and  on  the  next  day,  July  6th,  I  got  a  telegraph 
order  from  General  Halleck,  of  July  2d,  sent  me  by  courier 
from  Moscow,  "  not  to  attempt  to  hold  Holly  Springs,  but  to 
fall  back  and  protect  the  railroad."  We  accordingly  inarched 
back  twenty-five  miles — Hurlbut  to  Lagrange,  and  I  to  Moscow. 
The  enemy  had  no  infantry  nearer  than  the  Tallahatchee  bridge, 
but  their  cavalry  was  saucy  and  active,  superior  to  ours,  and  I 
despaired  of  ever  protecting  a  railroad,  presenting  a  broad  front 
of  one  hundred  miles,  from  their  dashes. 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  259 

About  this  time,  we  were  taunted  by  the  Confederate  sol 
diers  and  citizens  with  the  assertion  that  Lee  had  defeated 
McClellan  at  Richmond ;  that  he  would  soon  be  in  Washington ; 
and  that  our  turn  would  come  next.  The  extreme  caution  of 
General  Halleck  also  indicated  that  something  had  gone  wrong, 
and,  on  the  16th  of  July,  at  Moscow,  I  received  a  dispatch 
from  him,  announcing  that  he  had  been  summoned  to  Wash 
ington,  which  he  seemed  to  regret,  and  which  at  that  moment 
I  most  deeply  deplored.  He  announced  that  his  command 
would  devolve  on  General  Grant,  who  had  been  summoned 
around  from  Memphis  to  Corinth  by  way  of  Columbus,  Ken 
tucky,  and  that  I  was  to  go  into  Memphis  to  take  command  of 
the  District  of  West  Tennessee,  vacated  by  General  Grant.  By 
this  time,  also,  I  was  made  aware  that  the  great  army  that  had 
assembled  at  Corinth  at  the  end  of  May  had  been  scattered  and 
dissipated,  and  that  terrible  disasters  had  befallen  our  other 
armies  in  Virginia  and  the  East. 

I  soon  received  orders  to  move  to  Memphis,  taking  Hurlbut's 
division  along.  We  reached  Memphis  on  the  21st,  and  on  the 
22d  I  posted  my  three  brigades  mostly  in  and  near  Fort  Picker 
ing,  and  Hurlbut's  division  next  below  on  the  river-bank  by 
reason  of  the  scarcity  of  water,  except  in  the  Mississippi  River 
itself.  The  weather  was  intensely  hot.  The  same  order  that 
took  us  to  Memphis  required  me  to  send  the  division  of  General 
Lew  Wallace  (then  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  A.  P. 
Hovey)  to  Helena,  Arkansas,  to  report  to  General  Curtis,  which 
was  easily  accomplished  by  steamboat.  I  made  my  own  camp 
in  a  vacant  lot,  near  Mr.  Moon's  house,  and  gave  my  chief  at 
tention  to  the  construction  of  Fort  Pickering,  then  in  charge  of 
Major  Prime,  United  States  Engineers ;  to  perfecting  the  drill 
and  discipline  of  the  two  divisions  under  my  command ;  and  to 
the  administration  of  civil  affairs. 

At  the  time  when  General  Halleck  was  summoned  from 
Corinth  to  Washington,  to  succeed  McClellan  as  commander-in- 
chief,  I  surely  expected  of  him  immediate  and  important  re 
sults.  The  Army  of  the  Ohio  was  at  the  time  marching  toward 
Chattanooga,  and  was  strung  from  Eastport  by  Huntsville  to 


260  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

• 

Bridgeport,  under  the  command  of  General  Buell.  In  like  man 
ner,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was  strung  along  the  same  gen 
eral  line,  from  Memphis  to  Tuscumbia,  and  was  commanded  by 
General  Grant,  with  no  common  commander  for  both  these 
forces :  so  that  the  great  army  which  General  Halleck  had  so 
well  assembled  at  Corinth,  was  put  on  the  defensive,  with  a 
frontage  of  three  hundred  miles.  Soon  thereafter  the  rebels 
displayed  peculiar  energy  and  military  skill.  General  Bragg 
had  reorganized  the  army  of  Beauregard  at  Tupelo,  carried  it 
rapidly  and  skillfully  toward  Chattanooga,  whence  he  boldly 
assumed  the  offensive,  moving  straight  for  Nashville  and  Louis 
ville,  and  compelling  General  Buell  to  fall  back  to  the  Ohio 
Biver  at  Louisville. 

The  army  of  Yan  Dorn  and  Price  had  been  brought  from 
the  trans-Mississippi  Department  to  the  east  of  the  river,  and 
was  collected  at  and  about  Holly  Springs,  where,  reenforced  by 
Armstrong's  and  Forrest's  cavalry,  it  amounted  to  about  forty 
thousand  brave  and  hardy  soldiers.  These  were  General  Grant's 
immediate  antagonists,  and  so  many  and  large  detachments  had 
been  drawn  from  him,  that  for  a  tune  he  was  put  on  the  defen 
sive.  In  person  he  had  his  headquarters  at  Corinth,  with  the 
three  divisions  of  Hamilton,  Davies,  and  McKean,  under  the 
immediate  orders  of  General  Rosecrans.  General  Ord  had 
succeeded  to  the  division  of  McClernand  (who  had  also  gone  to 
"Washington),  and  held  Bolivar  and  Grand  Junction.  I  had  in 
Memphis  my  own  and  Hurlbut's  divisions,  and  other  smaller 
detachments  were  strung  along  the  Memphis  &  Charleston 
road.  But-  the  enemy's  detachments  could  strike  this  road  at  so 
many  points,  that  no  use  could  be  made  of  it,  and  General 
Grant  had  to  employ  the  railroads,  from  Columbus,  Kentucky, 
to  Corinth  and  Grand  Junction,  by  way  of  Jackson,  Tennessee, 
a  point  common  to  both  roads,  and  held  in  some  force. 

In  the  early  part  of  September  the  enemy  in  our  front 
manifested  great  activity,  feeling  with  cavalry  at  all  points,  and 
on  the  13th  General  Yan  Dorn  threatened  Corinth,  while  Gen 
eral  Price  seized  the  town  of  luka,  which  was  promptly  aban 
doned  by  a  small  garrison  under  Colonel  Murphy.  Price's  force 


1862.]  SHUOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  261 

was  about  eight  thousand  men,  and  the  general  impression  was 
that  he  was  en  route  for  Eastport,  with  the  purpose  to  cross  the 
Tennessee  River  in  the  direction  of  Xashville,  in  aid  of  Gen 
eral  Bragg,  then  in  full  career  for  Kentucky.  General  Grant 
determined  to  attack  him  in  force,  prepared  to  regain  Corinth 
before  Yan  Dorn  could  reach  it.  He  had  drawn  Ord  to  Cor 
inth,  and  moved  him,  by  Burnsville,  on  luka,  by  the  main 
road,  twenty-six  miles.  General  Grant  accompanied  this  column 
as  far  as  Burnsville.  At  the  same  time  he  had  dispatched 
Rosecrans  by  roads  to  the  south,  via  Jacinto,  with  orders  to  ap 
proach  luka  by  the  two  main  roads,  coming  into  luka  from  the 
south,  viz.,  the  Jacinto  and  Fulton  roads. 

On  the  18th  General  Ord  encountered  the  enemy  about 
four  miles  out  of  luka.  His  orders  contemplated  that  he  should 
'not  make  a  serious  attack,  until  Rosecrans  had  gained  his  posi 
tion  oh  the  south ;  but,  as  usual,  Rosecrans  had  encountered 
difficulties  in  the  confusion  of  roads,  his  head  of  column  did 
not  reach  the  vicinity  of  luka  till  4  p.  M.  of  the  19th,  and 
then  his  troops  were  long  drawn,  out  on  the  single  Jacinto 
road,  leaving  the  Fulton  road  clear  for  Price's  use.  Price 
perceived  his  advantage,  and  attacked  with  vehemence  the  head 
of  Rosecrans's  column,  Hamilton's  division,  beating  it  back, 
capturing  a  battery,  and  killing  and  disabling  seven  hundred 
and  thirty-six  men,  so  that  when  night  closed  in  Rosecrans  was 
driven  to  the  defensive,  and  Price,  perceiving  his  danger,  de 
liberately  withdrew  by  the  Fulton  road,  and  the  next  morning 
was  gone.  Although  General  Ord  must  have  been  within  four 
or  six  miles  of  this  battle,  he  did  not  hear  a  sound ;  and  he  or 
General  Grant  did  not  know  of  it  till  advised  the  next  morning 
by  a  courier  who  had  made  a  wide  circuit  to  reach  them.  Gen 
eral  Grant  was  much  offended  with  General  Rosecrans  because 
of  this  affair,  but  in  my  experience  these  concerted  movements 
generally  fail,  unless  with  the  very  best  kind  of  troops,  and  then 
in  a  country  on  whose  roads  some  reliance  can  be  placed,  which 
is  not  the  case  in  Northern  Mississippi.  If  Price  was  aiming 
for  Tennessee,  he  failed,  and  was  therefore  beaten.  He  made  a 
widejnrcuit  by  the  south,  and  again  joined  Yan  Dorn. 


262  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  at  Memphis,  I  received  an  order 
from  General  Grant  dated  the  2d,  to  send  Hurlbut's  division 
to  Brownsville,  in  the  direction  of  Bolivar,  thence  to  report  by 
letter  to  him  at  Jackson.  The  division  started  the  same  day, 
and,  as  our  men  and  officers  had  been  together  side  by  side  from 
the  first  landing  at  Shiloh,  we  felt  the  parting  like  the  breaking 
up  of  a  family.  But  General  Grant  was  forced  to  use  every 
man,  for  he  knew  well  that  Yan  Dorn  could  attack  him  at 
pleasure,  at  any  point  of  his  long  line.  To  be  the  better  pre 
pared,  on  the  2efd  of  September  he  took  post  himself  at  Jack 
son,  Tennessee,  with  a  small  reserve  force,  and  gave  Eose- 
crans  command  of  Corinth,  with  his  three  divisions  and  some 
detachments,  aggregating  about  twenty  thousand  men.  He 
posted  General  Ord  with  his  own  and  Hurlbut's  divisions  at 
Bolivar,  with  outposts  toward  Grand  Junction  and  Lagrange.* 
These  amounted  to  nine  or  ten  thousand  men,  and  I  held  Mem 
phis  with  my  own  division,  amounting  to  about  six  thousand 
men.  The  whole  of  General  Grant's  men  at  that  time  may 
have  aggregated  fifty  thousand,  but  he  had  to  defend  a  front 
age  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  guard  some  two  hundred 
miles  of  railway,  and  as  much  river.  Van  Dorn  had  forty 
thousand  men,  united,  at  perfect  liberty  to  move  in  any  direc 
tion,  and  to  choose  his  own  point  of  attack,  under  cover  of 
woods,  and  a  superior  body  of  cavalry,  familiar  with  every  foot 
of  the  ground.  Therefore  General  Grant  had  good  reason  for 
telegraphing  to  General  Halleck,  on  the  1st  of  October,  that  his 
position  was  precarious,  "  but  I  hope  to  get  out  of  it  all  right." 
In  Memphis  my  business  was  to  hold  fast  that  important  flank, 
and  by  that  date  Fort  Pickering  had  been  made  very  strong, 
and  capable  of  perfect  defense  by  a  single  brigade.  I  therefore 
endeavored  by  excursions  to  threaten  Yan  Dora's  detachments 
to  the  southeast  and  east.  I  repeatedly  sent  out  strong  detach 
ments  toward  Holly  Springs,  which  was  his  main  depot  of  sup 
ply;  and  General  Grierson,  with  his  Sixth  Illinois,  the  only 
cavalry  I  had,  made  some  bold  and  successful  dashes  at  the 
Coldwater,  compelling  Yan  Dorn  to  cover  it  by  Armstrong's 
whole  division  of  cavalry.  Still,  by  the  1st  of  October,  General 


1862.]  SHILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  263 

Grant  was  satisfied  that  the  enemy  was  meditating  an  attack  in 
force  on  Bolivar  or  Corinth ;  and  on  the  2d  Yan  Dorn  made 
his  appearance  near  Corinth,  with  his  entire  army.  On  the  3d 
he  moved  down  on  that  place  from  the  north  and  northwest. 
General' Rosecrans  went  out  some  four  miles  to  meet  him,  but 
was  worsted  and  compelled  to  fall  back  within  the  line  of  his 
forts.  These  had  been  begun  under  General  Halleck,  but  were 
much  strengthened  by  General  Grant,  and  consisted  of  several 
detached  redoubts,  bearing  on  each  other,  and  inclosing  the 
town  and  the  depots  of  stores  at  the  intersection  of  the  two  rail 
roads.  Yan  Dorn  closed  down  on  the  forts  by  the  evening  of 
the  3d,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  assaulted  with  great  vehe 
mence.  Our  men,  covered  by  good  parapets,  fought  gallantly,  and 
defended  their  posts  well,  inflicting  terrible  losses  on  the  enemy, 
so  that  by  noon  the  rebels  were  repulsed  at  all  points,  and  drew 
off,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  in  our  hands.  Their  losses, 
were  variously  estimated,  but  the  whole  truth  will  probably  never 
be  known,  for  in  that  army  reports  and  returns  were  not  the 
fashion.  General  Rosecrans  admitted  his  own  loss  to  be  three 
hundred  and  fifteen  killed,  eighteen  hundred  and  twelve 
wounded,  and  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  missing  or  prisoners, 
and  claimed  on  the  part  of  the  rebels  fourteen  hundred  and 
twenty-three  dead,  two  thousand  and  twenty-five  prisoners  and 
wounded.  Of  course,  most  of  the  wounded  must  have  gone 
off  or  been  carried  off,  so  that,  beyond  doubt,  the  rebel  army 
lost  at  Corinth  fully  six  thousand  men. 

Meantime,  General  Grant,  at  Jackson,  had  dispatched  Brig 
adier-General  McPherson,  with  a  brigade,  directly  for  Corinth, 
which  reached  General  Rosecrans  after  the  battle ;  and,  in  an 
ticipation  of  his  victory,  had  ordered  him  to  pursue  instantly, 
notifying  him  that  he  had  ordered  Ord's  and  Hurlbut's  divisions 
rapidly  across  to  Pocahontas,  so  as  to  strike  the  rebels  in  flank. 
On  the  morning  of  the  5th,  General  Ord  reached  the  Hatchie 
River,  at  Davis's  bridge,  with  four  thousand  men ;  crossed  over 
and  encountered  the  retreating  army,  captured  a  battery  and  sev 
eral  hundred  prisoners,  dispersing  the  rebel  advance,  and  forcing 
the  main  column  to  make  a  wide  circuit  by  the  south  in  order  to 


264  SIIILOH  TO  MEMPHIS.  [1862. 

cross  the  Hatcliie  River.  Had  General  Eosecrans  pursued 
promptly,  and  been  on  the  heels  of  this  mass  of  confused  and 
routed  men,  Van  Dorn's  army  would  surely  have  been  utterly 
ruined ;  as  it  was,  Van  Dorn  regained  Holly  Springs  somewhat 
demoralized. 

General  Eosecrans  did  not  begin  his  pursuit  till  the  next 
morning,  the  5th,  and  it  was  then  too  late.  General  Grant 
was  again  displeased  with  him,  and  never  became  fully  recon 
ciled.  General  Eosecrans  was  soon  after  relieved,  and  trans 
ferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  in  Tennessee,  of  which 
he  afterward  obtained  the  command,  in  place  of  General  Buell, 
who  was  removed. 

The  effect  of  the  battle  of  Corinth  was  very  great.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  decisive  blow  to  the  Confederate  cause  in  our  quarter, 
and  changed  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs  in  West  Tennessee. 
From  the  timid  defensive  we  were  at  once  enabled  to  assume 
the  bold  offensive.  In  Memphis  I  could  see  its  effects  upon  the 
citizens,  and  they  openly  admitted  that  their  cause  had  sustained 
a  death-blow.  But  the  rebel  government  was  then  at  its  maxi 
mum  strength ;  Yan  Dorn  was  reenforced,  and  very  soon  Lieu- 
tenant-General  J.  C.  Pemberton  arrived  and  assumed  the  com 
mand,  adopting  for  his  line  the  Tallahatchie  Eiver,  with  an 
advance-guard  along  the  Coldwater,  and  smaller  detachments 
forward  at  Grand  Junction  and  Hernando.  General  Grant,  in 
like  manner,  was  reenforced  by  new  regiments. 

Out  of  those  which  were  assigned  to  Memphis  I  organized 
two  new  brigades,  and  placed  them  under  officers  who  had 
gained  skill  and  experience  during  the  previous  campaign. 


CHAPTEE   XI. 

MEMPHIS    TO    ARKANSAS    POST. 
JULY,  3862,  TO  JANUARY,  1863. 

WHEN  we  first  entered  Memphis,  July  21, 1862, 1  found  the 
place  dead;  no  business  doing,  the  stores  closed,  churches, 
schools,  and  every  thing  shut  up.  The  people  were  all  more  or 
less  in  sympathy  with  our  enemies,  and  there  was  a  strong  pros 
pect  that  the  whole  civil  population  would  become  a  dead  weight 
on  our  hands.  Inasmuch  as  the  Mississippi  Biver  was  then  in  our 
possession  northward,  and  steamboats  were  freely  plying  with 
passengers  and  freight,  I  caused  all  the  stores  to  be  opened, 
churches,  schools,  theatres,  and  places  of  amusement,  to  be  re 
established,  and  very  soon  Memphis  resumed  its  appearance  of 
an  active,  busy,  prosperous  place.  I  also  restored  the  mayor 
(whose  name  was  Parks)  and  the  city  government  to  the  per 
formance  of  their  public  functions,  and  required  them  to  main 
tain  a  good  civil  police. 

Up  to  that  date  neither  Congress  nor  the  President  had  made 
any  clear,  well-defined  rules  touching  the  negro  slaves,  and  the 
different  generals  had  issued  orders  according  to  their  own  po 
litical  sentiments.  Both  Generals  Halleck  and  Grant  regarded 
the  slave  as  still  a  slave,  only  that  the  labor  of  the  slave  belonged 
to  his  owner,  if  faithful  to  the  Union,  or  to  the  United  States, 
if  the  master  had  taken  up  arms  against  the  Government,  or  ad 
hered  to  the  fortunes  of  the  rebellion.  Therefore,  in  Memphis, 
we  received  all  fugitives,  put  them  to  work  on  the  fortifications, 
supplied  them  with  food  and  clothing,  and  reserved  the  question 
of  payment  of  wages  for  future  decision.  No  force  was  allowed 


266  MEMPHIS  TO  AEKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

to  be  used  to  restore  a  fugitive  slave  to  his  master  in  any  event ; 
but  if  the  master  proved  his  loyalty,  he  was  usually  permitted  to 
see  his  slave,  and,  if  he  could  persuade  him  to  return  home,  it 
was  permitted.  Cotton,  also,  was  a  fruitful  subject  of  contro 
versy.  The  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Mr.  Chase,  was  ex 
tremely  anxious  at  that  particular  time  to  promote  the  purchase 
of  cotton,  because  each  bale  was  worth,  in  gold,  about  three  hun 
dred  dollars,  and  answered  the  purpose  of  coin  in  our  foreign 
exchanges.  He  therefore  encouraged  the  trade,  so  that  hundreds 
of  greedy  speculators  nocked  down  the  Mississippi,  and  resorted 
to  all  sorts  of  measures  to  obtain  cotton  from  the  interior,  often 
purchasing  it  from  negroes  who  did  not  own  it,  but  who  knew 
where  it  was  concealed.  This  whole  business  was  taken  from 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  military,  and  committed  to  Treasury 
agents  appointed  by  Mr.  Chase. 

Other  questions  absorbed  the  attention  of  military  com 
manders  ;  and  by  way  of  illustration  I  here  insert  a  few  letters 
from  my  "letter-book,"  which  contains  hundreds  on  similar 
subjects : 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  DIVISION,       I 
/  MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE,  August  11, 1862.  J 

Hon.  S.  P.  CHASE,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

SIE  :  Your  letter  of  August  2d,  just  received,  invites  my  discussion  of  the 
cotton  question. 

I  will  write  plainly  and  slowly,  because  I  know  you  have  no  time  to  lis 
ten  to  trifles.  This  is  no  trifle ;  when  one  nation  is  at  war  with  another,  all 
the  people  of  the  one  are  enemies  of  the  other :  then  the  rules  are  plain  and 
easy  of  understanding.  Most  unfortunately,  the  war  in  which  we  are  now 
engaged  has  been  complicated  with  the  belief  on  the  one  hand  that  all  on 
the  other  are  not  enemies.  It  would  have  been  better  if,  at  the  outset,  this 
mistake  had  not  been  made,  and  it  is  wrong  longer  to  be  misled  by  it.  The 
Government  of  the  United  States  may  now  safely  proceed  on  the  proper 
rule  that  all  in  the  South  are  enemies  of  all  in  the  North ;  and  not  only  are 
they  unfriendly,  but  all  who  can  procure  arms  now  bear  them  as  organized 
regiments,  or  as  guerrillas.  There  is  not  a  garrison  in  Tennessee  where  a 
man  can  go  beyond  the  sight  of  the  flag-staff"  without  being  shot  or  captured. 
It  BO  happened  that  these  people  had  cotton,  and,  whenever  they  appre 
hended  our  large  armies  would  move,  they  destroyed  the  cotton  in  the 
belief  that,  of  course,  we  would  seize  it,  and  convert  it  to  our  use.  They 
did  not  and  could  not  dream  that  we  would  pay  money  for  it.  It  had  been 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AEKANSAS  POST.  267" 

condemned  to  destruction  by  their  own  acknowledged  government,  and 
was  therefore  lost  to  their  people ;  and  could  have  been,  without  injustice, 
taken  by  us,  and  sent  away,  either  as  absolute  prize  of  war,  or  for  future 
compensation.  But  the  commercial  enterprise  of  the  Jews  soon  discovered 
that  ten  cents  would  buy  a  pound  of  cotton  behind  our  army ;  that  four  cents 
would  take  it  to  Boston,  where  they  could  receive  thirty  cents  in  gold. 
The  bait  was  too  tempting,  and  it  spread  like  fire,  when  here  they  discovered 
that  salt,  bacon,  powder,  fire-arms,  percussion-caps,  etc.,  etc.,  were  worth 
as  much  as  gold ;  and,  strange  to  say,  this  traffic  was  not  only  permitted^  but 
encouraged.  Before  we  in  the  interior  could  know  it,  hundreds,  yea  thou 
sands  of  barrels  of  salt  and  millions  of  dollars  had  been  disbursed ;  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  Bragg's  army  at  Tupelo,  and  Van  Dorn's  at  Vicksburg, 
received  enough  salt  to  make  bacon,  without  which  they  could  not  have 
moved  their  armies  in  mass;  and  that  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand  fresh 
arms,  and  a  due  supply  of  cartridges,  have  also  been  got,  I  am  equally  satisfied. 
As  soon  as  I  got  to  Memphis,  having  seen  the  effect  in  the  interior,  I  ordered 
(only  as  to  my  own  command)  that  gold,  silver,  and  Treasury  notes,  were 
contraband  of  war,  and  should  not  go  into  the  interior,  where  all  were  hostile. 
It  is  idle  to  talk  about  Union  men  here :  many  want  peace,  and  fear  war  and 
its  results ;  but  all  prefer  a  Southern,  independent  government,  and  are  fight 
ing  or  working  for  it.  Every  gold  dollar  that  was  spent  for  cotton,  was  sent 
to  the  seaboard,  to  be  exchanged  for  bank-notes  and  Confederate  scrip,  which 
will  buy  goods  here,  and  are  taken  in  ordinary  transactions.  I  therefore  re 
quired  cotton  to  be  paid  for  in  such  notes,  by  an  obligation  to  pay  at  the  end 
of  the  war,  or  by  a  deposit  of  the  price  in  the  hands  of  a  trustee,  viz.,  the 
United  States  Quartermaster.  Under  these  rules  cotton  is  being  obtained 
about  as  fast  as  by  any  other  process,  and  yet  the  enemy  receives  no  "  aid  or 
comfort."  Under  the  "gold"  rule,  the  country  people  who  had  concealed 
their  cotton  from  the  burners,  and  who  openly  scorned  our  greenbacks,  were 
willing  enough  to  take  Tennessee  money,  which  will  buy  their  groceries ; 
but  now  that  the  trade  is  to  be  encouraged,  and  gold  paid  out,  I  admit  that 
cotton  will  be  sent  in  by  our  open  enemies,  who  can  make  better  use  of  gold 
than  they  can  of  their  hidden  bales  of  cotton. 

I  may  not  appreciate  the  foreign  aspect  of  the  question,  but  my  views  on 
this  may  be  ventured.  If  England  ever  threatens  war  because  we  don't 
furnish  her  cotton,  tell  her  plainly  if  she  can't  employ  and  feed  her  own 
people,  to  send  them  here,  where  they  cannot  only  earn  an  honest  living, 
but  soon  secure  independence  by  moderate  labor.  "We  are  not  bound  to 
furnish  her  cotton.  She  has  more  reason  to  fight  the  South  for  burning 
that  cotton,  than  us  for  not  shipping  it.  To  aid  the  South  on  this  ground 
would  be  hypocrisy  which  the  world  would  detect  at  once.  Let  her 
make  her  ultimatum,  and  there  are  enough  generous  minds  in  Europe  that 
will  counteract  her  in  the  balance.  Of  course  her  motive  is  to  cripple  a 


268  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

power  that  rivals  her  in  commerce  and  manufactures,  that  threatenes  even 
to  usurp  her  history.  In  twenty  more  years  of  prosperity,  it  will  require 
a  close  calculation  to  determine  whether  England,  her  laws  and  history, 
claim  for  a  home  the  Continent  of  America  or  the  Isle  of  Britain.  There 
fore,  finding  us  in  a  death-struggle  for  existence,  she  seems  to  seek  a  quarrel 
to  destroy  both  parts  in  detail. 

Southern  people  know  this  full  well,  and  will  only  accept  the  alliance 
of  England  in  order  to  get  arms  and  manufactures  in  exchange  for  their 
cotton.  The  Southern  Confederacy  will  accept  no  other  mediation,  because 
she  knows  full  well  that  in  Old  England  her  slaves  and  slavery  will  receive 
no  more  encouragement  than  in  New  England. 

France  certainly  does  not  need  our  cotton  enough  to  disturb  her  equi 
librium,  and  her  mediation  would  be  entitled  to  a  more  respectful  consid 
eration  than  on  the  part  of  her  present  ally.  But  I  feel  assured  the  French 
will  not  encourage  rebellion  and  secession  anywhere  as  a  political  doctrine. 
Certainly  all  the  German  states  must  be  our  ardent  friends ;  and,  in  case  of 
European  intervention,  they  could  not  be  kept  down. 

With  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Major- General. 


HEADQTJAETEES  FIFTH  DIVISION,  ARMY  OP  THE  TENNESSEE,  ) 
MEMPHIS,  July  23, 1862.  j 

Dr.  E.  S.  PLUMMEE  and  others,  Physicians  in  Memphis,  Signers  to  a  Petition. 

GENTLEMEN  :  I  have  this  moment  received  your  communication,  and  as 
sure  you  that  it  grieves  my  heart  thus  to  be  the  instrument  of  adding  to  the 
seeming  cruelty  and  hardship  of  this  unnatural  war. 

On  my  arrival  here,  I  found  my  predecessor  (General  Hovey)  had  issued 
an  order  permitting  the  departure  south  of  all  persons  subject  to  the  con 
script  law  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  Many  applications  have  been  made 
to  me  to  modify  this  order,  but  I  regarded  it  as  a  condition  precedent  by 
which  I  was  bound  in  honor,  and  therefore  I  have  made  no  changes  or  mod 
ifications  ;  nor  shall  I  determine  what  action  I  shall  adopt  in  relation  to 
persons  unfriendly  to  our  cause  who  remain  after  the  time  limited  by  Gen 
eral  Hovey's  order  has  expired.  It  is  now  sunset,  and  all  who  have  not 
availed  themselves  of  General  Hovey's  authority,  and  who  remain  in  Mem 
phis,  are  supposed  to  be  loyal  and  true  men. 

I  will  only  say  that  I  cannot  allow  the  personal  convenience  of  even  a 
large  class  of  ladies  to  influence  me  in  my  determination  to  make  Memphis 
a  safe  place  of  operations  for  an  army,  and  all  people  who  are  unfriendly 
should  forthwith  prepare  to  depart  in  such  direction  as  I  may  hereafter 
indicate. 

Surgeons  are  not  liable  to  be  made  prisoners  of  war,  but  they  should  not 


1862-'68.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  269 

reside  within  the  lines  of  an  army  which  they  regard  as  hostile.     The  situ 
ation  would  be  too  delicate. 

I  ana,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Major- General. 

HEADQTTABTEKS,  MEMPHIS,  July  24, 1862. 
SAMUEL  SAWTEE,  Esq.,  Editor  Union  Appeal,  Memphis. 

DEAR  SIB  :  It  is  well  I  should  come  to  an  understanding  at  once  with  the 
press  as  well  as  the  people  of  Memphis,  which  I  am  ordered  to  command  ; 
which  means,  to  control  for  the  interest,  welfare,  and  glory  of  the  whole 
Government  of  the  United  States. 

Personalities  in  a  newspaper  are  wrong  and  criminal.  Thus,  though  you 
meant  to  be  complimentary  in  your  sketch  of  my  career,  you  make  more 
than  a  dozen  mistakes  of  fact,  which  I  need  not  correct,  as  I  don't  desire 
my  biography  to  be  written  till  I  am  dead.  It  is  enoiigh  for  the  world  to 
know  that  I  live  and  am  a  soldier,  bound  to  obey  the  orders  of  my  superiors, 
the  laws  of  my  country,  and  to  venerate  its  Constitution ;  and  that,  when 
discretion  is  given  me,  I  shall  exercise  it  wisely  and  account  to  my  superiors. 

I  regard  your  article  headed  "  City  Council — General  Sherman  and 
Colonel  Slack,"  as  highly  indiscreet.  Of  course,  no  person  who  can  jeopard 
ize  the  safety  of  Memphis  can  remain  here,  much  less  exercise  public  author 
ity  ;  but  I  must  take  time,  and  be  satisfied  that  injustice  be  not  done. 

If  the  parties  named  be  the  men  you  describe,  the  fact  should  not  be 
published,  to  put  them  on  their  guard  and  thus  to  encourage  their  escape. 
The  evidence  should  be  carefully  collected,  authenticated,  and  then  placed 
in  my  hands.  But  your  statement  of  facts  is  entirely  qualified,  in  my  mind, 
and  loses  its  force  by  your  negligence  of  the  very  simple  facts  within  your 
reach  as  to  myself:  I  had  been  in  the  army  six  years  in  1846 ;  am  not  related 
by  blood  to  any  member  of  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co. ;  was  associated  with  them 
in  business  six  years  (instead  .of  two)  ;  am  not  colonel  of  the  Fifteenth  In 
fantry,  but  of  the  Thirteenth.  Your  correction,  this  morning,  of  the  ac 
knowledged  error  as  to  General  Denver  and  others,  is  still  erroneous.  Gen 
eral  Morgan  L.  Smith  did  not  belong  to  my  command  at  the  battle  of  Shi- 
loh  at  all,  but  he  was  transferred  to  my  division  just  before  reaching  Corinth. 
I  mention  these  facts  in  kindness,  to  show  you  how  wrong  it  is  to  speak  of 
persons. 

I  will  attend  to  the  judge,  mayor,  Boards  of  Aldermen,  and  policemen, 
all  in  good  time. 

Use  your  influence  to  reestablish  system,  order,  government.  You  may 
rest  easy  that  no  military  commander  is  going  to  neglect  internal  safety,  or 
to  guard  against  external  danger ;  but  to  do  right  requires  time,  and  more 
patience  than  I  usually  possess.  If  I  find  the  press  of  Memphis  actuated  by 


270  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

high  principle  and  a  sole  devotion  to  their  country,  I  will  be  their  best 
friend ;  but,  if  I  find  them  personal,  abusive,  dealing  in  innuendoes  and  hints 
at  a  blind  venture,  and  looking  to  their  own  selfish  aggrandizement  and  fame, 
then  they  had  better  look  out ;  for  I  regard  such  persons  as  greater  ene 
mies  to  their  country  and  to  mankind  than  the  men  who,  from  a  mistaken 
sense  of  State  pride,  have  taken  up  muskets,  and  fight  us  about  as  hard  as 
we  care  about.  In  haste,  but  hi  kindness,  yours,  etc., 

"W".  T.  SHEEMAN,  Major- General. 

HEADQUABTEBS  FIFTH  DIVISION,      ) 
MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE,  July  27, 1862.  ) 

JOHN  PABK,  Mayor  of  Memphis,  present. 

SIB  :  Yours  of  July  24th  is  before  me,  and  has  received,  as  all  similar 
papers  ever  will,  my  careful  and  most  respectful  consideration.  I  have  the 
most  unbounded  respect  for  the  civil  law,  courts,  and  authorities,  and  shall 
do  all  in  my  power  to  restore  them  to  their  proper  use,  viz.,  the  protection 
of  life,  liberty,  and  property. 

Unfortunately,  at  this  time,  civil  war  prevails  in  the  land,  and  necessarily 
the  military,  for  the  time  being,  must  be  superior  to  the  civil  authority,  but 
it  does  not  therefore  destroy  it.  Civil  courts  and  executive  officers  should 
still  exist  and  perform  duties,  without  which  civil  or  municipal  bodies  would 
soon  pass  into  disrespect — an  end  to  be  avoided.  I  am  glad  to  find  in  Mem 
phis  a  mayor  and  municipal  authorities  not  only  in  existence,  but  in  the  co- 
exercise  of  important  functions,  and  I  shall  endeavor  to  restore  one  or 
more  civil  tribunals  for  the  arbitration  of  contracts  and  punishment  of 
crimes,  which  the  military  have  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  interfere 
with.  Among  these,  first  in  importance  is  the  maintenance  of  order, 
peace,  and  quiet,  within  the  jurisdiction  of  Memphis.  To  insure  this,  I  will 
keep  a  strong  provost  guard  in  the  city,  but  will  limit  their  duty  to  guarding 
public  property  held  or  claimed  by  the  United  States,  and  for  the  arrest  and 
confinement  of  State  prisoners  and  soldiers  who  are  disorderly  or  improperly 
away  from  their  regiments.  This  guard  ought  not  to  arrest  citizens  for  dis 
order  or  minor  crimes.  This  should  be  done  by  the  city  police.  I  under 
stand  that  the  city  police  is  too  weak  hi  numbers  to  accomplish  this  per 
fectly,  and  I  therefore  recommend  that  the  City  Council  at  once  take  steps 
to  increase  this  force  to  a  number  which,  in  their  judgment,  day  and  night 
can  enforce  your  ordinances  as  to  peace,  quiet,  and  order;  so  that  any 
change  in  our  military  dispositions  will  not  have  a  tendency  to  leave  your 
people  unguarded.  I  am  willing  to  instruct  the  provost  guard  to  assist  the 
police  force  when  any  combination  is  made  too  strong  for  them  to  overcome ; 
but  the  city  police  should  be  strong  enough  for  any  probable  contingency. 
The  cost  of  maintaining  this  police  force  must  necessarily  fall  upon  all  citi 
zens  equitably. 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AEKAXSAS  POST.  271 

I  am  not  willing,  nor  do  I  think  it  good  policy,  for  the  city  authorities 
to  collect  the  taxes  belonging  to  the  State  and  County,  as  you  recommend ; 
for  these  would  have  to  be  refunded.  Better  meet  the  expenses  at  once  by 
a  new  tax  on  all  interested.  Therefore,  if  you,  on  consultation  with  the 
proper  municipal  body,  will  frame  a  good  bill  for  the  increase  of  your  police 
force,  and  for  raising  the  necessary  means  for  their  support  and  main 
tenance,  I  will  approve  it  and  aid  you  in  the  collection  of  the  tax.  Of 
course,  I  cannot  suggest  how  this  tax  should  be  laid,  but  I  think  that  it 
should  be  made  uniform  on  all  interests,  real  estate,  and  personal  property, 
including  money  and  merchandise. 

All  who  are  protected  should  share  the  expenses  in  proportion  to  the 
interests  involved.  I  am,  with  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major-  General  commanding. 

HEADQUABTEBS  FIFTH  DIVISION,  ) 
MEMPHIS,  August  7, 1862.     ) 

Captain  FITCH,  Assistant  Quartermaster,  Memphis,  Tennessee. 

SIE  :  The  duties  devolving  on  the  quartermaster  of  this  post,  in  addition 
to  his  legitimate  functions,  are  very  important  and  onerous,  and  I  am  fully 
aware  that  the  task  is  more  than  should  devolve  on  one  man.  I  will  en 
deavor  to  get  you  help  in  the  person  of  some  commissioned  officer,  and,  if 
possible,  one  under  bond,  as  he  must  handle  large  amounts  of  money  in 
trust ;  but,  for  the  present,  we  must  execute  the  duties  falling  to  our  share 
as  well  as  possible.  On  the  subject  of  vacant  houses,  General  Grant's  orders 
are :  "  Take  possession  of  all  vacant  stores  and  houses  in  the  city,  and  have 
them  rented  at  reasonable  rates ;  rent  to  be  paid  monthly  in  advance.  These 
buildings,  with  their  tenants,  can  be  turned  over  to  proprietors  on  proof  of 
loyalty;  also  take  charge  of  such  as  have  been  leased  out  by  disloyal 
owners." 

I  understand  that  General  Grant  takes  the  rents  and  profits  of  this  class 
of  real  property  under  the  rules  and  laws  of  war,  and  not  under  the  confis 
cation  act  of  Congress ;  therefore  the  question  of  title  is  not  involved — 
simply  the  possession,  and  the  rents  and  profits  of  houses  belonging  to  our 
enemies,  which  are  not  vacant,  we  hold  in  trust  for  them  or  the  Government, 
according  to  the  future  decisions  of  the  proper  tribunals. 

Mr.  McDonald,  your  chief  agent  in  renting  and  managing  this  business, 
called  on  me  last  evening  and  left  with  me  written  questions,  which  it  would 
take  a  volume  to  answer  and  a  "Webster  to  elucidate ;  but  as  we  can  only 
attempt  plain,  substantial  justice,  I  will  answer  these  questions  as  well  as  I 
can,  briefly  and  to  the  point : 

First.  When  ground  is  owned  by  parties  who  have  gone  south,  and 
have  leased  the  ground  to  parties  now  in  the  city  who  own  the  improve 
ments  on  the  ground  ? 


272  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

Answer.  The  United  States  takes  the  rents  due  the  owner  of  the  land ; 
does  not  disturb  the  owner  of  the  improvements. 

Second.  "When  parties  owning  houses  have  gone  south,  and  the  tenant 
has  given  his  notes  for  the  rent  in  advance  ? 

Answer.  Notes  are  mere  evidence  of  the  debt  due  landlord.  The  tenant 
pays  the  rent  to  the  quartermaster,  who  gives  a  bond  of  indemnity  against 
the  notes  representing  the  debt  for  the  particular  rent. 

Third.  When  the  tenant  has  expended  several  months'  rent  in  repairs 
on  the  house  ? 

Answer.  Of  course,  allow  all  such  credits  on  reasonable  proof  and 
showing. 

Fourth.  When  the  owner  has  gone  south,  and  parties  here  hold  liens  on 
the  property  and  are  collecting  the  rents  to  satisfy  their  liens  ? 

Answer.  The  rent  of  a  house  can  only  be  mortgaged  to  a  person  in  pos 
session.  If  a  loyal  tenant  be  in  possession  and  claim  the  rent  from  himself 
as  due  to  himself  on  some  other  debt,  allow  it ;  but,  if  not  in  actual  posses 
sion  of  the  property,  rents  are  not  good  liens  for  a  debt,  but  must  be  paid  to 
the  quartermaster. 

Fifth.  Of  parties  claiming  foreign  protection  ? 

Answer.  Many  claim  foreign  protection  who  are  not  entitled  to  it.  If 
they  are  foreign  subjects  residing  for  business  in  this  country,  they  are  en 
titled  to  consideration  and  protection  so  long  as  they  obey  the  laws  of  the 
country.  If  they  occupy  houses  belonging  to  absent  rebels,  they  must  pay 
rent  to  the  quartermaster.  If  they  own  property,  they  must  occupy  it  by 
themselves,  tenants,  or  servants. 

Eighth.  When  houses  are  occupied  and  the  owner  has  gone  south,  leav 
ing  an  agent  to  collect  rent  for  his  benefit  ? 

Answer.  Kent  must  be  paid  to  the  quartermaster.  No  agent  can  collect 
and  remit  money  south  without  subjecting  himself  to  arrest  and  trial  for 
aiding  and  abetting  the  public  enemy. 

Ninth.  When  houses  are  owned  by  loyal  citizens,  but  are  unoccupied  ? 

Answer.  Such  should  not  be  disturbed,  but  it  would  be  well  to  advise 
them  to  have  some  servant  at  the  house  to  occupy  it. 

Tenth.  When  parties  who  occupy  the  house  are  creditors  of  the  owner, 
who  has  gone  south  ? 

Answer.  You  only  look  to  collection  of  rents.  Any  person  who  trans 
mits  money  south  is  liable  to  arrest  and  trial  for  aiding  and  abetting  the 
enemy ;  but  I  do  not  think  it  our  business  to  collect  debts  other  than  rents. 

Eleventh.  When  the  parties  who  own  the  property  have  left  the  city 
under  General  Hovey's  Order  No.  1,  but  are  in  the  immediate  neighborhood, 
on  their  plantations  ? 

Answer.  It  makes  no  difference  where  they  are,  so  they  are  absent. 
Twelfth.  When  movable  property  is  found  hi  stores  that  are  closed  ? 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AKKANSAS  POST.  273 

Answer.  The  goods  are  security  for  the  rent.  If  the  owner  of  the  goods 
prefers  to  remove  the  goods  to  paying  rent,  he  can  do  so. 

Tliirteenih.  When  the  owner  lives  in  town,  and  refuses  to  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance  ? 

Answer.  If  the  house  be  occupied,  it  does  not  fall  under  the  order.  If 
the  house  be  vacant,  it  does.  The  owner  can  recover  his  property  by  taking 
the  oath. 

All  persons  in  Memphis  residing  within  our  military  lines  are  presumed 
to  be  loyal,  good  citizens,  and  may  at  any  moment  be  called  to  serve  on 
juries,  posses  comitatus,  or  other  civil  service  required  by  the  Constitution 
and  laws  of  our  country.  Should  they  be  called  upon  to  do  such  duty, 
which  would  require  them  to  acknowledge  their  allegiance  and  subordina 
tion  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  it  would  then  be  too  late  to 
refuse.  So  long  as  they  remain  quiet  and  conform  to  these  laws,  they  are 
entitled  to  protection  in  their  property  and  lives. 

"We  have  nothing  to  do  with  confiscation.  We  only  deal  with  possession, 
and  therefore  the  necessity  of  a  strict  accountability,  because  the  United 
States  assumes  the  place  of  trustee,  and  must  account  to  the  rightful  owner 
for  his  property,  rents,  and  profits.  In  due  season  courts  will  be  established 
to  execute  the  laws,  the  confiscation  act  included,  when  we  will  be  re 
lieved  of  this  duty  and  trust.  Until  that  time,  every  opportunity  should  be 
given  to  the  wavering  and  disloyal  to  return  to  their  allegiance  to  the  Con 
stitution  of  their  birth  or  adoption.  I  am,  etc., 

W.  T.  SHERMAN, 
Major-  General  commanding. 

HEADQUARTEBS  FIFTH  DIVISION,        } 
MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE,  August  26, 1862. ) 

Major- General  GBANT,  Corinth,  Mississippi. 

SIR  :  In  pursuance  of  your  request  that  I  should  keep  you  advised  of 
matters  of  interest  here,  in  addition  to  the  purely  official  matters,  I  now 
write. 

I  dispatched  promptly  the  thirteen  companies  of  cavalry,  nine  of  Fourth 
Illinois,  and  four  of  Eleventh  Illinois,  to  their  respective  destinations, 
punctually  on  the  23d  instant,  although  the  order  was  only  received  on  the 
22d.  I  received  at  the  same  time,  from  Colonel  Dickey,  the  notice  that 
the  bridge  Over  Hatchie  was  burned,  and  therefore  I  prescribed  their  order 
of  march  via  Bolivar.  They  started  at  12  M.  of  the  23d,  and  I  have  no 
news  of  them  since.  None  of  the  cavalry  ordered  to  me  is  yet  heard 
from. 

The  guerrillas  have  destroyed  several  bridges  over  Wolf  Creek  ;  one  at 
Ealeigh,  on  the  road  by  which  I  had  prescribed  trade  and  travel  to  and 
from  the  city.  I  have  a  strong  guard  at  the  lower  bridge  over  Wolf  Kiver, 
18 


274:  .MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

by  which  we  can  reach  the  country  to  the  north  of  that  stream ;  but,  as 
the  Confederates  have  burned  their  own  bridges,  I  will  hold  them  to  my 
order,  and  allow  no  trade  over  any  other  road  than  the  one  prescribed, 
using  the  lower  or  Randolph  road  for  our  own  convenience.  I  am  still 
satisfied  there  is  no  large  force  of  rebels  anywhere  in  the  neighborhood.  All 
the  navy  gunboats  are  below  except  the  St.  Louis,  which  lies  off  the  city. 
"When  Commodore  Davis  passes  down  from  Cairo,  I  will  try  to  see  him, 
and  get  him  to  exchange  the  St.  Louis  for  a  fleeter  boat  not  iron-clad;  one 
that  can  move  up  and  down  the  river,  to  break  up  ferry-boats  and  canoes, 
and  to  prevent  all  passing  across  the  river.  Of  course,  in  spite  of  all  our 
efforts,  smuggling  is  carried  on.  "We  occasionally  make  hauls  of  clothing, 
gold-lace,  buttons,  etc.,  but  I  am  satisfied  that  salt  and  arms  are  got  to 
the  interior  somehow.  I  have  addressed  the  Board  of  Trade  a  letter  on 
this  point,  which  will  enable  us  to  control  it  better. 

You  may  have  been  troubled  at  hearing  reports  of  drunkenness  here. 
There  was  some  after  pay-day,  but  generally  all  is  as  quiet  and  orderly 
as  possible.  I  traverse  the  city  every  day  and  night,  and  assert  that  Mem 
phis  is  and  has  been  as  orderly  a  city  as  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  or  New  York. 

Before  the  city  authorities  undertook  to  license  saloons,  there  was  as 
much  whiskey  here  as  now,  and  it  would  take  all  my  command  as  custom 
house  inspectors,  to  break  open  all  the  parcels  and  packages  containing 
liquor.  I  can  destroy  all  groggeries  and  shops  where  soldiers  get  liquor 
just  as  we  would  in  St.  Louis. 

The  newspapers  are  accusing  me  of  cruelty  to  the  sick;  as  base  a 
charge  as  was  ever  made.  I  would  not  let  the  Sanitary  Committee  carry 
off  a  boat-load  of  sick,  because  I  have  no  right  to.  "We  have  good  hospitals 
here,  and  plenty  of  them.  Our  regimental  hospitals  are  in  the  camps  of  the 
men,  and  the  sick  do  much  better  there  than  in  the  general  hospitals ;  so 
say  my  division  surgeon  and  the  regimental  surgeons.  The  civilian  doctors 
would,  if  permitted,  take  away  our  entire  command.  General  Curtis  sends 
his  sick  up  here,  but  usually  no  nurses ;  and  it  is  not  right  that  nurses 
should  be  taken  from  my  command  for  his  sick.  I  think  that,  when  we 
are  endeavoring  to  raise  soldiers  and  to  instruct  them,  it  is  bad  policy  to 
keep  them  at  hospitals  as  attendants  and  nurses. 

I  send  you  Dr.  Derby's  acknowledgment  that  he  gave  the  leave  of  ab 
sence  of  which  he  was  charged.  I  have  placed  him  in  arrest,  in  obedience 
to  General  Halleck's  orders,  but  he  remains  in  charge  of  the  Overton  Hos 
pital,  which  is  not  full  of  patients. 

The  State  Hospital  also  is  not  full,  and  I  cannot  imagine  what  Dr.  Derby 
wants  with  the  Female  Academy  on  Vance  Street.  I  will  see  him  again,  and 
now  that  he  is  the  chief  at  Overton  Hospital,  I  think  he  will  not  want  the 
academy.  Still,  if  he  does,  under  your  orders  I  will  cause  it  to  be  vacated 
by  the  children  and  Sisters  of  Mercy.  They  have  just  advertised  for 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  275 

more  scholars,  and  will  be  sadly  disappointed.  If,  however,  this  building 
or  any  other  be  needed  for  a  hospital,  it  must  be  taken  ;  but  really,  in  my 
heart,  I  do  not  see  what  possible  chance  there  is,  under  present  circum 
stances,  of  filling  with  patients  the  two  large  hospitals  now  in  use,  besides 
the  one  asked  for.  I  may,  however,  be  mistaken  in  the  particular  building 
asked  for  by  Dr.  Derby,  and  will  go  myself  to  see. 

The  fort  is  progressing  well,  Captain  Jenney  having  arrived.  Sixteen 
heavy  guns  are  received,  with  a  large  amount  of  shot  and  shell,  but  the 
platforms  are  not  yet  ready ;  still,  if  occasion  should  arise  for  dispatch,  I 
can  put  a  larger  force  to  work.  Captain  Prime,  when  here,  advised  that 
the  work  should  proceed  regularly  under  the  proper  engineer  officers  and 
laborers.  I  am,  etc., 

W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Major-  General  commanding. 


HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  DIVISION,         ) 
MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE,  September  4,  1862.  ) 

Colonel  J.  C.  KELTOX,  Assistant  Adjutant- General,  Headquarters  of  the 
Army,  Washington,  D.  C. 

DEAR  COLOXEL:  Please  acknowledge  to  the  major-general  commanding 
the  receipt  by  me  of  his  letter,  and  convey  to  him  my  assurances  that  I  have 
promptly  modified  my  first  instructions  about  cotton,  so  as  to  conform  to 
his  orders.  Trade  in  cotton  is  now  free,  but  in  all  else  I  endeavor  so  to 
control  it  that  the  enemy  shall  receive  no  contraband  goods,  or  any  aid 
or  comfort ;  still  I  feel  sure  that  the  officers  of  steamboats  are  sadly 
tempted  by  high  prices  to  land  salt  and  other  prohibited  articles  at  way- 
points  along  the  river.  This,  too,  in  time  will  be  checked. 

All  seems  well  here  and  hereabout ;  no  large  body  of  the  enemy  within 
striking  distance.  A  force  of  about  two  thousand  cavalry  passed  through 
Grand  Junction  north  last  Friday,  and  fell  on  a  detachment  of  the  Bolivar 
army  at  Middleburg,  the  result  of  which  is  doubtless  reported  to  you.  As 
soon  as  I  heard  of  the  movement,  I  dispatched  a  force  to  the  southeast  by 
way  of  diversion,  and  am  satisfied  that  the  enemy's  infantry  and  artillery 
fell  back  in  consequence  behind  the  Tallahatchie. 

The  weather  is  very  hot,  country  very  dry,  and  dust  as  bad  as  possible. 
I  hold  my  two  divisions  ready,  with  their  original  complement  of  trans 
portation,  for  field  service. 

Of  course  all  things  must  now  depend  on  events  in  front  of  "Washington 
and  in  Kentucky. 

The  gunboat  Eastport  and  four  transports  loaded  with  prisoners  of  war 
destined  for  Vicksburg  have  been  lying  before  Memphis  for  two  days,  but 
are  now  steaming  up  to  resume  their  voyage. 

Our  fort  progresses  well,  but  our  guns  are  not  yet  mounted.    The  engi- 


276  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

neers  are  now  shaping  the  banquette  to  receive  platforms.      I  expect  Cap 
tain  Prime  from  Corinth  in  two  or  three  days. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  yours, 

"W.  T.  SHEBMAX,  Major- General  commanding. 


HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  DIVISION,          / 
MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE,  September  21, 1862.  ) 
Editor  Bulletin. 

SIB:  Your  comments  on  the  recent  orders  of  Generals  Halleck  and 
McClellan  afford  the  occasion  appropriate  for  me  to  make  public  the  fact 
that  there  is  a  law  of  Congress,  as  old  as  our  Government  itself,  but 
reenacted  on  the  10th  of  April,  1806,  and  in  force  ever  since.  That  law 
reads : 

"  All  officers  and  soldiers  are  to  behave  themselves  orderly  in  quarters 
and  on  the  march ;  and  whoever  shall  commit  any  waste  or  spoil,  either  in 
walks  of  trees,  park?,  warrens,  fish-ponds,  houses  and  gardens,  cornfields, 
inclosures  or  meadows,  or  shall  maliciously  destroy  any  property  whatever 
belonging  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,  unless  by  order  of  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  said  United  States,  shall  (besides  such 
penalties  as  they  are  liable  to  by  law)  be  punished  according  to  the  nature 
and  degree  of  the  offense,  by  the  judgment  of  a  general  or  regimental  court- 
martial." 

Such  is  the  law  of  Congress ;  and  the  orders  of  the  commander-in-chief 
are,  that  officers  or  soldiers  convicted  of  straggling  and  pillaging  shall  be 
punished  with  death.  These  orders  have  not  come  to  me  officially,  but  I 
have  seen  them  in  newspapers,  and  am  satisfied  that  they  express  the  de 
termination  of  the  commander-in-chief.  Straggling  and  pillaging  have  ever 
been  great  military  crimes ;  and  every  officer  and  soldier  in  my  command 
knows  what  stress  I  have  laid  upon  them,  and  that,  so  far  as  in  my  power 
lies,  I  will  punish  them  to  the  full  extent  of  the  law  and  orders. 

The  law  is  one  thing,  the  execution  of  the  law  another.  God  himself 
has  commanded:  "Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  "thou  shalt  not  steal,"  "thou 
shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  goods,"  etc.  "Will  any  one  say  these  things 
are  not  done  now  as  well  as  before  these  laws  were  announced  at  Sinai? 
I  admit  the  law  to  be  that  "no  officer  or  soldier  of  the  United  States  shall 
commit  waste  or  destruction  of  cornfields,  orchards,  potato-patches,  or  any 
kind  of  pillage  on  the  property  of  friend  or  foe  near  Memphis,"  and  that  I 
stand  prepared  to  execute  the  law  as  far  as  possible. 

No  officer  or  soldier  should  enter  the  house  or  premises  of  any  peace 
able  citizen,  no  matter  what  his  politics,  unless  on  business;  and  no  such 
officer  or  soldier  can  force  an  entrance  unless  he  have  a  written  order  from 
a  commanding  officer  or  provost-marshal,  which  written  authority  must  be 
exhibited  if  demanded.  When  property  such  as  forage,  building  or  other 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO   ARKANSAS  POST.  277 

materials  are  needed  by  the  United  States,  a  receipt  will  be  given  by  the 
officer  taking  them,  which  receipt  should  be  presented  to  the  quartermaster, 
who  will  substitute  therefor  a  regular  voucher,  to  be  paid  according  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  case.  If  the  officer  refuse  to  give  such  receipt,  the 
citizen  may  fairly  infer  that  the  property  is  wrongfully  taken,  and  he 
should,  for  his  own  protection,,  ascertain  the  name,  rank,  and  regiment  of 
the  officer,  and  report  him  in  writing.  If  any  soldier  commits  waste  or 
destruction,  the  person  whose  property  is  thus  wasted  must  find  out  the 
name,  company,  and  regiment  of  the  actual  transgressor.  In  order  to 
punish  there  must  be  a  trial,  and  there  must  be  testimony.  It  is  not  suf 
ficient  that  a  general  accusation  be  made,  that  soldiers  are  doing  this  or 
that.  I  cannot  punish  my  whole  command,  or  a  whole  battalion,  because 
one  or  two  bad  soldiers  do  wrong.  The  punishment  must  reach  the  per 
petrators,  and  no  one  can  identify  them  as  well  as  the  party  who  is  in 
terested.  The  State  of  Tennessee  does  not  hold  itself  responsible  for  acts  of 
larceny  committed  by  her  citizens,  nor  does  the  United  States  or  any  other 
nation.  These  are  individual  acts  of  wrong,  and  punishment  can  only  be 
inflicted  x>n  the  wrong-doer.  I  know  the  difficulty  of  identifying  particular 
soldiers,  but  difficulties  do  not  alter  the  importance  of  principles  of  justice. 
They  should  stimulate  the  parties  to  increase  their  efforts  to  find  out  the 
actual  perpetrators  of  the  crime. 

Colonels  of  regiments  and  commanders  of  corps  are  liable  to  severe 
punishment  for  permitting  their  men  to  leave  their  camps  to  commit  waste 
or  destruction ;  but  I  know  full  well  that  many  of  the  acts  attributed  to 
soldiers  are  committed  by  citizens  and  negroes,  and  are  charged  to  soldiers 
because  of  a  desire  to  find  fault  with  them ;  but  this  only  reacts  upon  the 
community  and  increases  the  mischief.  "While  every  officer  would  willingly 
follow  up  an  accusation  against  any  one  or  more  of  his  men  whose  names 
or  description  were  given  immediately  after  the  discovery  of  the  act,  he 
would  naturally  resent  any  general  charge  against  his  good  men,  for  the 
criminal  conduct  of  a  few  bad  ones. 

I  have  examined  into  many  of  the  cases  of  complaint  made  in  this  gen 
eral  way,  and  have  felt  mortified  that  our  soldiers  should  do  acts  which  are 
nothing  more  or  less  than  stealing,  but  I  was  powerless  without  some  clew 
whereby  to  reach  the  rightful  party.  I  know  that  the  great  mass  of  our 
soldiers  would  scorn  to  steal  or  commit  crime,  and  I  will  not  therefore 
entertain  vague  and  general  complaints,  but  stand  prepared  always  to 
follow  np  any  reasonable  complaint  when  the  charge  is  definite  and  the 
names  of  witnesses  furnished. 

I  know,  moreover,  in  some  instances  when  our  soldiers  are  complained 
of,  that  they  have  been  insulted  by  sneering  remarks  about  "  Yankees," 
"  Northern  barbarians,"  "  Lincoln's  hirelings,1'  etc.  People  who  use  such 
language  must  seek  redress  through  some  one  else,  for  I  will  not  tolerate  in- 


2T8  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'68. 

suits  to  our  country  or  cause.  .When  people  forget  their  obligations  to  a 
Government  that  made  them  respected  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and 
speak  contemptuously  of  the  flag  which  is  the  silent  emblem  of  that  country, 
I  will  not  go  out  of  my  way  to  protect  them  or  their  property.  I  will  punish 
the  soldiers  for  trespass  or  waste  if  adjudged  by  a  court-martial,  because 
they  disobey  orders ;  but  soldiers  are  men  and  citizens  as  well  as  soldiers, 
and  should  promptly  resent  any  insult  to  their  country,  come  from  what 
quarter  it  may.  I  mention  this  phase  because  it  is  too  common.  Insult  to 
a  soldier  does  not  justify  pillage,  but  it  takes  from  the  officer  the  dis 
position  he  would  otherwise  feel  to  follow  up  the  inquiry  and  punish  the 
wrong-doers. 

Again,  armies  in  motion  or  stationary  must  commit  some  waste.  Flankers 
must  let  down  fences  and  cross  fields ;  and,  when  an  attack  is  contemplated 
or  apprehended,  a  command  will  naturally  clear  the  ground  of  houses, 
fences,  and  trees.  This  is  waste,  but  is  the  natural  consequence  of  war, 
chargeable  on  those  who  caused  the  war.  So  in  fortifying  a  place,  dwell 
ing-houses  must  be  taken,  materials  used,  even  wasted,  and  great  damage 
done,  which  in  the  end  may  prove  useless.  This,  too,  is  an  expense  not 
chargeable  to  us,  but  to  those  who  made  the  war ;  and  generally  war  is 
destruction  and  nothing  else. 

We  must  bear  this  in  mind,  that  however  peaceful  things  look,  we 
are  really  at  war;  and  much  that  looks  like  waste  or  destruction  is  only 
the  removal  of  objects  that  obstruct  our  fire,  or  would  afford  cover  to  an 
enemy. 

This  class  of  waste  must  be  distinguished  from  the  wanton  waste  com 
mitted  by  army-stragglers,  which  is  wrong,  and  can  be  punished  by  the 
death-penalty  if  proper  testimony  can  be  produced. 
Yours,  etc., 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major- General  commanding. 

Satisfied  that,  in  the  progress  of  the  war,  Memphis  would 
become  an  important  depot,  I  pushed  forward  the  construction 
of  Fort  Pickering,  kept  most  of  the  troops  in  camps  back  of 
the  city,  and  my  own  headquarters  remained  in  tents  on  the 
edge  of  the  city,  near  Mr.  Moon's  house,  until,  on  the  approach 
of  winter,  Mrs.  Sherman  came  down  with  the  children  to  visit 
me,  when  I  took  a  house  nearer  the  fort. 

All  this  time  battalion  and  brigade  drills  were  enforced, 
so  that,  when  the  season  approached  for  active  operations 
farther  south,  I  had  my  division  in  the  best  possible  order, 
and  about  the  1st  of  November  it  was  composed  as  follows  : 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AKEANSAS  POST.  2T9 

First  Brigade,  Brigadier-General  M.  L.  SMITH. — Eighth  Missouri,  Colo 
nel  G.  A.  Smith ;  Sixth  Missouri,  Colonel  Peter  E.  Bland ;  One  Hundred 
and  Thirteenth  Illinois,  Colonel  George  B.  Hoge ;  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  Colo 
nel  T.  Kilby  Smith ;  One  Hundred  and  Twentieth  Illinois,  Colonel  G.  W. 
McKeaig. 

/Second  Brigade,  Colonel  JOHIT  ADAIR  McDowEix. — Sixth  Iowa,  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  John  M.  Corse  ;  Fortieth  Illinois,  Colonel  J.  "W.  Booth ;  Forty- 
sixth  Ohio,  Colonel  0.  C.  Walcutt;  Thirteenth  United  States  Infantry, 
First  Battalion,  Major  D.  Chase. 

Third  Brigade,  Brigadier-General  J.  "W.  DENVEB. — Forty-eighth  Ohio, 
Colonel  P.  J.  Sullivan ;  Fifty-third  Ohio,  Colonel  "W.  S.  Jones ;  Seventieth 
Ohio,  Colonel  J.  K.  Cockerill. 

Fourth  Brigade,  Colonel  DAVID  STUABT. — Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  Colonel  O. 
Malmburg;  Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  Colonel  W.  Mungen;  Eighty-third  Indiana, 
Colonel  B.  Spooner ;  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois,  Colonel  Tupper ; 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh  Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Eldridge. 

Fifth  Brigade,  Colonel  E.  P.  BUCKLAND. — Seventy-second  Ohio,  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  D.  "W.  C.  Loudon ;  Thirty-second  Wisconsin,  Colonel  J.  "W". 
Howe ;  Ninety-third  Indiana,  Colonel  Thomas ;  Ninety-third  Illinois,  Ma 
jor  J.  M.  Fisher. 

Subsequently,  Brigadier-General  J.  G.  Lauman  arrived  at 
Memphis,  and  I  made  up  a  sixth  brigade,  and  organized  these 
six  brigades  into  three  divisions,  under  Brigadier-Generals  M. 
L.  Smith,  J.  W.  Denver,  and  J.  G.  Lauman. 

About  the  17th  of  November  I  received  an  order  from 
General  Grant,  dated — 

LAGBANGE,  November  15,  1862. 

Meet  me  at  Columbus,  Kentucky,  on  Thursday  next.  If  you  have  a 
good  map  of  the  country  south  of  you,  take  it  up  with  you. 

U.  S.  GBANT,  Major- General. 

I  started  forthwith  by  boat,  and  met  General  Grant,  who  had 
reached  Columbus  by  the  railroad  from  Jackson,  Tennessee.  He 
explained  to  me  that  he  proposed  to  move  against  Pemberton, 
then  intrenched  on  a  line  behind  the  Tallahatchie  River  below 
Holly  Springs ;  that  he  would  move  on  Holly  Springs  and  Abber- 
ville,  from  Grand  Junction ;  that  McPherson,  with  the  troops  at 
Corinth,  would  aim  to  make  junction  with  him  at  Holly  Springs ; 
and  that  he  wanted  me  to  leave  in  Memphis  a  proper  garrison, 


280  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

and  to  aim  for  the  Tallahatchie,  so  as  to  come  up  on  his  right 
by  a  certain  date.  He  further  said  that  his  ultimate  object 
was  to  capture  Vicksburg,  to  open  the  navigation  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  River,  and  that  General  Halleck  had  authorized  him  to 
call  on  the  troops  in  the  Department  of  Arkansas,  then  com 
manded  by  General  S.  R.  Curtis,  for  cooperation.  I  suggested 
to  him  that  if  he  would  request  General  Curtis  to  send  an  expe 
dition  from  some  point  on  the  Mississippi  near  Helena,  then 
held  in  force,  toward  Grenada,  to  the  rear  of  Pemberton,  it 
would  alarm  him  for  the  safety  of  his  communications,  and 
would  assist  us  materially  in  the  proposed  attack  on  his  front. 
He  authorized  me  to  send  to  the  commanding  officer  at  Helena 
a  request  to  that  effect,  and,  as  soon  as  I  reached  Memphis,  I 
dispatched  my  aide,  Major  McCoy,  to  Helena,  who  returned, 
bringing  me  a  letter  from  General  Frederick  Steele,  who  had 
just  reached  Helena  with  Osterhaus's  division,  and  who  was 
temporarily  in  command,  General  Curtis  having  gone  to  St. 
Louis.  This  letter  contained  the  assurance  that  he  "  would  send 
from  Friar's  Point  a  large  force  under  Brigadier-General  A.  P. 
Hovey  in  the  direction  of  Grenada,  aiming  to  reach  the  Talla 
hatchie  at  Charleston,  on  the  next  Monday,  Tuesday,  or  Wednes 
day  (December  1st)  at  furthest."  My  command  was  appointed 
to  start  on  Wednesday,  November  24th,  and  meantime  Major- 
General  S.  A.  Hurlbut,  having  reported  for  duty,  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  Memphis,  with  four  regiments  of  infantry, 
one  battery  of  artillery,  two  companies  of  Thielman's  cavalry, 
and  the  certain  prospect  of  soon  receiving  a  number  of  new 
regiments,  known  to  be  en  route. 

I  marched  out  of  Memphis  punctually  with  three  small 
divisions,  taking  different  roads  till  we  approached  the  Talla 
hatchie,  when  we  converged  on  Wyatt  to  cross  the  river,  there 
a  bold,  deep  stream,  with  a  newly-constructed  fort  behind.  I 
had  Grierson's  Sixth  Illinois  Cavalry  with  me,  and  with  it 
opened  communication  with  General  Grant  when  we  were 
abreast  of  Holly  Springs.  We  reached  Wyatt  on  the  2d  day  of 
December  without  the  least  opposition,  and  there  learned  that 
Pembertoii's  whole  army  had  fallen  back  to  the  Yalabusha, 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AKKANSAS  POST.  281 

near  Grenada,  in  a  great  measure  by  reason  of  the  exaggerated 
reports  concerning  the  Helena  force,  which  had  reached  Charles 
ton  ;  and  some  of  General  Hovey's  cavalry,  under  General  Wash- 
burn,  having  struck  the  railroad  in  the  neighborhood  of  Coffee- 
ville,  naturally  alarmed  General  Pemberton  for  the  safety  of  his 
communications,  and  made  him  let  go  his  Tallahatchie  line  with 
all  the  forts  which  he  had  built  at  great  cost  in  labor.  "We  had 
to  build  a  bridge  at  "Wyatt,  which  consumed  a  couple  of  days, 
and  on  the  5th  of  December  my  whole  command  was  at  College 
Hill,  ten  miles  from  Oxford,  whence  I  reported  to  General 
Grant  in  Oxford. 

On  the  8th  I  received  the  following  letter : 

OXFORD,  MISSISSIPPI,  December  8, 1862. — Morning. 
General  SHERMAN,  College  HilL 

DEAE  GEXEBAL  :  The  following  is  a  copy  of  dispatch  just  received  from 
Washington  : 

WASHINGTON,  December  7,  1862. — 12  n. 
General  GBANT  : 

The  capture  of  Grenada  may  change  our  plans  in  regard  to  Vicksburg. 
You  will  move  your  troops  as  you  may  deem  best  to  accomplish  the  great 
object  in  view.  You  will  retain,  till  further  orders,  all  troops  of  General  Cur 
tis  now  in  your  department.  Telegraph  to  General  Allen  in  St.  Louis  for 
all  steamboats  you  may  require.  Ask  Porter  to  cooperate.  Telegraph 
what  are  your  present  plans. 

II.  W.  HALLECK,  General-in-Chief. 

I  wish  you  would  come  over  this  evening  and  stay  to-night,  or  come  in 
the  morning.  I  would  like  to  talk  with  you  about  this  matter.  My  notion 
is  to  send  two  divisions  back  to  Memphis,  and  fix  upon  a  day  when  they 
should  effect  a  landing,  and  press  from  here  with  this  command  at  the 
proper  time  to  cooperate.  If  I  do  not  do  this  I  will  move  our  present  force 
to  Grenada,  including  Steele's,  repairing  road  as  we  proceed,  and  establish 
a  depot  of  provisions  there.  "When  a  good  ready  is  had,  to  move  immedi 
ately  on  Jackson,  Mississippi,  cutting  loose  from  the  road.  Of  the  two 
plans  I  look  most  favorably  on  the  former. 

Come  over  and  we  will  talk  this  matter  over. 

Yours  truly, 

U.  S.  GBANT,  Major- General. 

I  repaired  at  once  to  Oxford,  and  found  General  Grant 
in  a  large  house  with  all  his  staff,  and  we  discussed  every  pos- 


282  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

sible  chance.  He  explained  to  me  that  large  reinforcements 
had  been  promised,  which  would  reach  Memphis  very  soon,  if 
not  already  there ;  that  the  entire  gunboat  fleet,  then  under  the 
command  of  Admiral  D.  D.  Porter,  would  cooperate ;  that  we 
could  count  on  a  full  division  from  the  troops  at  Helena ;  and 
he  believed  that,  by  a  prompt  movement,  I  could  make  a  lodg 
ment  up  the  Yazoo  and  capture  Yicksburg  from  the  rear ;  that 
its  garrison  was  small,  and  he,  at  Oxford,  would  so  handle  his 
troops  as  to  hold  Pemberton  away  from  Yicksburg.  I  also  under 
stood  that,  if  Pemberton  should  retreat  south,  he  would  follow 
him  up,  and  would  expect  to  find  me  at  the  Yazoo  River,  if  not 
inside  of  Yicksburg.  I  confess,  at  that  moment  I  did  not  dream 
that  General  McClernand,  or  anybody  else,  was  scheming  for 
the  mere  honor  of  capturing  Yicksburg.  "VVe  knew  at  the  time 
that  General  Butler  had  been  ree'nf  orced  by  General  Banks  at 
New  Orleans,  and  the  latter  was  supposed  to  be  working  his 
way  up-stream  from  New  Orleans,  while  we  were  working  down. 
That  day  General  Grant  dispatched  to  General  Halleck,  in 
Washington,  as  follows : 

OXFORD,  December  8, 1862. 
Major-  General  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

General  Sherman  will  command  the  expedition  down  the  Mississippi. 
He  will  have  a  force  of  about  forty  thousand  men  ;  will  land  above  Vicks- 
burg  (up  the  Yazoo,  if  practicable),  and  cut  the  Mississippi  Central  road  and 
the  road  running  east  from  Vicksburg,  where  they  cross  Black  River.  I 
will  cooperate  from  here,  my  movements  depending  on  those  of  the  enemy. 
With  the  large  cavalry  force  now  at  my  command,  I  will  be  able  to  have 
them  show  themselves  at  different  points  on  the  Tallahatchie  and  Yalabusha ; 
and,  when  an  opportunity  occurs,  make  a  real  attack.  After  cutting  the 
two  roads,  General  Sherman's  movements  to  secure  the  end  desired  will 
necessarily  be  left  to  his  judgment. 

I  will  occupy  this  road  to  Cofieeville. 

U.  S.  GBANT,  Major- General. 

I  was  shown  this  dispatch  before  it  was  sent,  and  afterward 
the  general  drew  up  for  me  the  following  letter  of  instructions 
in  his  own  handwriting,  which  I  now  possess : 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  283 

HEADQUARTERS  THIRTEENTH  ARJTT  CORPS,  ) 

DEPARTMENT  or  THE  TENNESSEE,  OXFORD,  MISSISSIPPI,  December  8, 1862.  j 

Major- General  "W.  T.  SHERMAN,  commanding  Bight  Wing  Army  in  the  Field, 
present. 

GENERAL  :  You  will  proceed  with  as  little  delay  as  practicable  to  Mem 
phis,  Tennessee,  taking  with  you  one  division  of  your  present  command. 
On  your  arrival  at  Memphis  you  will  assume  command  of  all  the  troops 
there,  and  that  portion  of  General  Curtis's  forces  at  present  east  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  Eiver,  and  organize  them  into  brigades  and  divisions  in  your  own 

way. 

As  soon  as  possible  move  with  them  down  the  river  to  the  vicinity  of 
Yicksburg,  and,  with  the  cooperation  of  the  gunboat  fleet  under  command 
of  Flag-Officer  Porter,  proceed  to  the  reduction  of  that  place  in  such  man 
ner  as  circumstances  and  your  own  judgment  may  dictate. 

The  amount  of  rations,  forage,  land  transportation,  etc.,  necessary  to 
take,  will  be  left  entirely  to  yourself. 

The  quartermaster  in  St.  Louis  will  be  instructed  to  send  you  transpor 
tation  for  thirty  thousand  men.  Should  you  still  find  yourself  deficient, 
your  quartermaster  will  be  authorized  to  make  up  the  deficiency  from  such 
transports  as  may  come  into  the  port  of  Memphis. 

On  arriving  in  Memphis  put  yourself  in  communication  with  Admiral 
Porter,  and  arrange  with  him  for  his  cooperation. 

Inform  me  at  the  earliest  practicable  day  of  the  time  when  you  will  em 
bark,  and  such  plans  as  may  then  be  matured.  I  will  hold  the  forces  here 
in  readiness  to  cooperate  with  you  in  such  manner  as  the  movements  of  the 
enemy  may  make  necessary. 

Leave  the  District  of  Memphis  in  the  command  of  an  efficient  officer 
and  with  a  garrison  of  four  regiments  of  infantry,  the  siege-guns,  and  what 
ever  cavalry  force  may  be  there. 

One  regiment  of  infantry  and  at  least  a  section  of  artillery  will  also  be 
left  at  Friar's  Point  or  Delta,  to  protect  the  stores  of  the  cavalry  post  that 
will  be  left  there.  Yours  truly, 

U.  S.  GEANT,  Major- General. 

I  also  insert  here  another  letter,  dated  the  14th  instant,  sent 
afterward  to  me  at  Memphis,  which  completes  all  instructions 
received  by  me  governing  the  first  movement  against  Yicks 
burg  : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THK  TENNESSEE,  ) 
OXFORD,  MISSISSIPPI,  December  14, 1862.      } 

Major- General  SHERMAN,  commanding,  etc.,  Memphis,  Tennessee: 

I  have  not  had  one  word  from  Grierson  since  he  left,  and  am  getting 
uneasy  about  him.  I  hope  General  Gorman  will  give  you  no  difficulty 


284:  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

about  retaining  the  troops  on  this  side  the  river,  and  Steel  e  to  command 
them.  The  twenty-one  thousand  men  you  have,  with  the  twelve  thousand 
from  Helena,  will  make  a  good  force.  The  enemy  are  as  yet  on  the  Yala- 
busha.  I  am  pushing  down  on  them  slowly,  but  so  as  to  keep  up  the  im 
pression  of  a  continuous  move.  I  feel  particularly  anxious  to  have  the 
Helena  cavalry  on  this  side  of  the  river ;  if  not  now,  at  least  after  you  start. 
If  Gorman  will  send  them,  instruct  them  where  to  go  and  how  to  commu 
nicate  with  me.  My  headquarters  will  probably  be  in  Coffeeville  one  week 
hence.  In  the  mean  time  I  will  order  transportation,  etc.  ...  It  would 
be  well  if  you  could  have  two  or  three  small  boats  suitable  for  navigating 
the  Yazoo.  It  may  become  necessary  for  me  to  look  to  that  base  for  sup 
plies  before  we  get  through.  .  .  . 

U.  S.  GKANT,  Major- General. 

When  we  rode  to  Oxford  from  College  Hill,  there  hap 
pened  a  little  circumstance  which  seems  worthy  of  record. 
While  General  Van  Dorn  had  his  headquarters  in  Holly 
Springs,  viz.,  in  October,  1862,  he  was  very  short  of  the  com 
forts  and  luxuries  of  life,  and  resorted  to  every  possible  device 
to  draw  from  the  abundant  supplies  in  Memphis.  He  had  no 
difficulty  whatever  in  getting  spies  into  the  town  for  infor 
mation,  but  he  had  trouble  in  getting  bulky  supplies  out  through 
our  guards,  though  sometimes  I  connived  at  his  supplies  of 
cigars,  liquors,  boots,  gloves,  etc.,  for  his  individual  use ;  but 
medicines  and  large  supplies  of  all  kinds  were  confiscated, 
if  attempted  to  be  passed  out.  As  we  rode  that  morning 
toward  Oxford,  I  observed  in  a  farmer's  barn-yard  a  wagon 
that  looked  like  a  city  furniture-wagon  with  springs.  We  were 
always  short  of  wagons,  so  I  called  the  attention  of  the  quar 
termaster,  Colonel  J.  Condit  Smith,  saying,  "  There  is  a  good 
wagon;  go  for  it."  He  dropped  out  of  the  retinue  with  an 
orderly,  and  after  we  had  ridden  a  mile  or  so  he  overtook  us, 
and  I  asked  him,  "  What  luck  ?  "  He  answered,  "  All  right ;  I 
have  secured  that  wagon,  and  I  also  got  another,"  and  explained 
that  he  had  gone  to  the  farmer's  house  to  inquire  about  the 
furniture-wagon,  when  the  farmer  said  it  did  not  belong  to  him, 
but  to  some  party  in  Memphis,  adding  that  in  his  barn  was 
another  belonging  to  the  same  party.  They  went  to  the  barn, 
and  there  found  a  handsome  city  hearse,  with  pall  and  plumes. 


1S32-'63.J  MEMPHIS   TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  285 

The  farmer  said  they  had  had  a  big  funeral  out  of  Memphis, 
but  when  it  reached  his  house,  the  coffin  was  found  to  contain 
a  fine  assortment  of  medicines  for  the  use  of  Yan  Dom's  army. 
Thus  under  the  pretense  of  a  first-class  funeral,  they  had  car 
ried  through  our  guards  the  very  things  we  had  tried  to  pre 
vent.  It  was  a  good  trick,  but  diminished  our  respect  for  such 
pageants  afterward. 

As  soon  as  I  was  in  possession  of  General  Grant's  instruc 
tions  of  December  8th,  with  a  further  request  that  I  should 
dispatch  Colonel  Grierson,  with  his  cavalry,  across  by  land  to 
Helena,  to  notify  General  Steele  of  the  general  plan,  I  re 
turned  to  College  Hill,  selected  the  division  of  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  Morgan  L.  Smith  to  return  with  me  to  Memphis ;  started 
Grierson  on  his  errand  to  Helena,  and  ordered  Generals  Denver 
and  Lauman  to  report  to  General  Grant  for  further  orders. 
We  started  back  by  the  most  direct  route,  reached  Memphis 
by.  noon  of  December  12th,  and  began  immediately  the  prepara 
tions  for  the  Vicksburg  movement.  There  I  found  two  irregu 
lar  divisions  which  had  arrived  at  Memphis  in  my  absence,  com 
manded  respectively  by  Brigadier-General  A.  J.  Smith  and 
Brigadier-General  George  "W.  Morgan.  These  were  designated 
the  First  and  Third  Divisions,  leaving  the  Second  Division  of 
Morgan  L.  Smith  to  retain  its  original  name  and  number. 

I  also  sent  orders,  in  the  name  of  General  Grant,  to  General 
Gorman,  who  meantime  had  replaced  General  Steele  in  com 
mand  of  Helena,  in  lieu  of  the  troops  which  had  been  east  of 
the  Mississippi  and  had  returned,  to  make  up  a  strong  division 
to  report  to  me  on  my  way  down.  This  division  was  accord 
ingly  organized,  and  was  commanded  by  Brigadier-General 
Frederick  Steele,  constituting  my  Fourth  Division. 

Meantime  a  large  fleet  of  steamboats  was  assembling  from 
St.  Louis  and  Cairo,  and  Admiral  Porter  dropped  down  to  Mem 
phis  with  his  whole  gunboat  fleet,  ready  to  cooperate  in  the 
movement.  The  preparations  were  necessarily  hasty  in  the 
extreme,  but  this  was  the  essence  of  the  whole  plan,  viz.,  to 
reach  Yicksburg  as  it  were  by  surprise,  while  General  Grant 
held  in  check  Pemberton's  army  about  Grenada,  leaving  me 


286  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [18G2-'C3. 

to  contend  only  with  the  smaller  garrison  of  Yicksburg  and  its 
well-known  strong  batteries  and  defenses.  On  the  19th  the 
Memphis  troops  were  embarked,  and  steamed  down  to  Helena, 
where  on  the  21st  General  Steele's  division  was  also  embarked ; 
and  on  the  22d  we  were  all  rendezvoused  at  Friar's  Point,  in 
the  following  order,  viz. : 

Steamer  Forest  Queen,  general  headquarters,  and  battalion  Thirteenth 
United  States  Infantry. 

First  Division,  Brigadier-General  A.  J.  SMITH. — Steamers  Des  Arc,  di 
vision  headquarters  and  escort ;  Metropolitan,  Sixth  Indiana ;  J.  H.  Dickey, 
Twenty-third  Wisconsin  ;  J.  C.  Snow,  Sixteenth  Indiana ;  Hiawatha,  Nine 
ty-sixth  Ohio ;  J.  S.  Pringle,  Sixty-seventh  Indiana ;  J.  "W.  Cheeseman, 
Ninth  Kentucky ;  E.  Campbell,  Ninety-seventh  Indiana ;  Duke  of  Ar- 
gyle,  Seventy -seventh  Illinois;  City  of  Alton,  One  Hundred  and  Eighth 
and  Forty-eighth  Ohio ;  City  of  Louisiana,  Mercantile  Battery ;  Ohio  Belle, 
Seventeenth  Ohio  Battery;  Citizen,  Eighty-third  Ohio;  Champion,  com 
missary-boat  ;  General  Anderson,  Ordnance. 

/Second  Division,  Brigadier-General  M.  L.  SMITH. — Steamers  Chancellor, 
headquarters,  and  Thielman's  cavalry;  Planet,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 
Illinois ;  City  of  Memphis,  Batteries  A  and  B  (Missouri  Artillery),  Eighth 
Missouri,  and  section  of  Parrott  guns ;  Omaha,  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  ;  Sioux 
City,  Eighty-third  Indiana;  Spread  Eagle,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Illinois ;  Ed.  "Walsh,  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois ;  "West 
moreland,  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  headquarters  Fourth  Brigade ;  Sunny  South, 
Fifty-fourth  Ohio ;  Universe,  Sixth  Missouri ;  Eobert  Allen,  commissary- 
boat. 

Third  Division,  Brigadier-General  G.  "W.  MORGAN. — Steamers  Empress, 
division  headquarters ;  Key  "West,  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Indiana ; 
Sam  Gaty,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana ;  Northerner,  One  Hundred  and  Twentieth 
Ohio ;  Belle  Peoria,  headquarters  Second  Brigade,  two  companies  Forty- 
ninth  Ohio,  and  pontoons;  Die  Vernon,  Third  Kentucky;  "War  Eagle, 
Forty-ninth  Indiana  (eight  companies),  and  Foster's  battery;  Henry  von 
Phul,  headquarters  Third  Brigade,  and  eight  companies  Sixteenth  Ohio ; 
Fanny  Bullitt,  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  Ohio,  and  Lamphere's  bat 
tery  ;  Crescent  City,  Twenty-second  Kentucky  and  Fifty-fourth  Indiana ; 
Des  Moines,  Forty-second  Ohio;  Pembina,  Lamphere's  and  Stone's  bat 
teries  ;  Lady  Jackson,  commissary-boat. 

Fourth  Division,  Brigadier-General  FREDERICK  STEELE. — Steamers  Con 
tinental,  headquarters,  escort  and  battery ;  John  J.  Roe,  Fourth  and  Ninth 
Iowa ;  Nebraska,  Thirty -first  Iowa ;  Key  West,  First  Iowa  Artillery ;  John 
Warner,  Thirteenth  Illinois;  Tecumseh,  Twenty-sixth  Iowa;  Decatur, 


1862-'63,]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  287 

Twenty-eighth  Iowa ;  Quitman,  Thirty-fourth  Iowa ;  Kennett,  Twenty- 
ninth  Missouri;  Gladiator,  Thirtieth  Missouri;  Isabella,  Thirty-first  Mis 
souri;  D.  G.  Taylor,  quartermaster's  stores  and  horses;  Sucker  State, 
Thirty-second  Missouri;  Dakota,  Third  Missouri;  Tutt,  Twelfth  Missouri; 
Emma,  Seventeenth  Missouri ;  Adriatic,  First  Missouri ;  Meteor,  Seventy- 
sixth*  Ohio ;  Polar  Star,  Fifty-eighth  Ohio. 

At  the  same  time  were  communicated  the  following  instruc 
tions  : 

HEADQUARTERS  EIGHT  WINO,  THIRTEENTH  ARMY  CORPS,  I 
FOREST  QUEEN,  December  23,  1862.  ) 

To  Commanders  of  Divisions,  Generals  F.  STEELE,  GEOEGE  "W.  MOBGAN,  A. 
J.  SMITH,  and  M.  L.  SMITH: 

"With  this  I  hand  to  each  of  you  a  copy  of  a  map,  compiled  from  the 
best  sources,  and  which  in  the  main  is  correct.  It  is  the  same  used  by  Ad 
miral  Porter  and  myself.  Complete  military  success  can  only  be  accom 
plished  by  united  action  on  some  general  plan,  embracing  usually  a  large 
district  of  country.  In  the  present  instance,  our  object  is  to  secure  the 
navigation  of  the  Mississippi  Eiver  and  its  main  branches,  and  to  hold  them 
as  military  channels  of  communication  and  for  commercial  purposes.  The 
river,  above  Vicksburg,  has  been  gained  by  conquering  the  country  to  its 
rear,  rendering  its  possession  by  our  enemy  useless  and  unsafe  to  him,  and 
of  great  value  to  us.  But  the  enemy  still  holds  the  river  from  Vicksburg 
to  Baton  Rouge,  navigating  it  with  his  boats,  and  the  possession  of  it  ena 
bles  him  to  connect  his  communications  and  routes  of  supply,  east  and 
•west.  To  deprive  him  of  this  will  be  a  severe  blow,  and,  if  done  effectu 
ally,  will  be  of  great  advantage  to  us,  and  probably  the  most  decisive  act  of 
the  war.  To  accomplish  this  important  result  we  are  to  act  our  part — an 
important  one  of  the  great  whole.  General  Banks,  with  a  large  force,  has 
reenforced  General  Butler  in  Louisiana,  and  from  that  quarter  an  expe 
dition,  by  water  and  land,  is  coming  northward.  General  Grant,  with  the 
Thirteenth  Army  Corps,  of  which  we  compose  the  right  wing,  is  moving 
southward.  The  naval  squadron  (Admiral  Porter)  is  operating  with  his 
gunboat  fleet  by  water,  each  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  other. 

General  Grant's  left  and  centre  were  at  last  accounts  approaching  the 
Yalabusha,  near  Grenada,  and  the  railroad  to  his  rear,  by  which  he  drew 
his  supplies,  was  reported  to  be  seriously  damaged.  This  may  disconcert 
him  somewhat,  but  only  makes  more  important  our  line  of  operations.  At 
the  Yalabusha  General  Grant  may  encounter  the  army  of  General  Pember- 
ton,  the  same  which  refused  him  tattle  on  the  line  of  the  Tallahatchie, 
which  was  strongly  fortified  ;  but,  as  he  will  not  have  time  to  fortify  it,  he 
will  hardly  stand  there ;  and,  in  that  event,  General  Grant  will  immediately 


288  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

advance  down  the  high  ridge  between  the  Big  Black  and  Yazoo,  and  will 
expect  to  meet  us  on  the  Yazoo  and  receive  from  us  the  supplies  which 
he  needs,  and  which  he  knows  we  carry  along.  Parts  of  this  general  plan 
are  to  cooperate  with  the  naval  squadron  in  the  reduction  of  Vicksburg ; 
to  secure  possession  of  the  land  lying  between  the  Yazoo  and  Big  Black  ; 
and  to  act  in  concert  with  General  Grant  against  Pemberton's  forces',  sup 
posed  to  have  Jackson,  Mississippi,  as  a  point  of  concentration.  Vicksburg 
is  doubtless  very  strongly  fortified,  both  against  the  river  and  land  ap 
proaches.  Already  the  gunboats  have  secured  the  Yazoo  up  for  twenty- 
three  miles,  to  a  fort  on  the  Yazoo  at  Haines's  Bluff,  giving  us  a  choice  for 
a  landing-place  at  some  point  up  the  Yazoo  below  this  fort,  or  on  the  island 
which  lies  between  Vicksburg  and  the  present  mouth  of  the  Yazoo.  (See 
map  [J,  c,  d],  Johnson's  plantation.) 

But,  before  any  actual  collision  with  the  enemy,  I  purpose,  after  our 
whole  land-force  is  rendezvoused  at  Gaines's  Landing,  Arkansas,  to  proceed 
in  order  to  Milliken's  Bend  (a),  and  there  dispatch  a  brigade,  without  wag 
ons  or  any  incumbrances  whatever,  to  the  Vicksburg  &  Shreveport  Rail 
road  (at  Ji  and  &),  to  destroy  that  effectually,  and  to  cut  off  that  fruitful 
avenue  of  supply  ;  then  to  proceed  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo,  and,  after 
possessing  ourselves  of  the  latest  and  most  authentic  information  from  naval 
officers  now  there,  to  land  our  whole  force  on  the  Mississippi  side,  and  then 
to  reach  the  point  where  the  Vicksburg  &  Jackson  Railroad  crosses  the 
Big  Black  (/) ;  after  which  to  attack  Vicksburg  ly  land,  while  the  gun 
boats  assail  it  by  water.  It  may  be  necessary  (looking  to  Grant's  ap 
proach),  before  attacking  Vicksburg,  to  reduce  the  battery  at  Haines's  Bluff 
first,  so  as  to  enable  some  of  the  lighter  gunboats  and  transports  to  ascend 
the  Yazoo  and  communicate  with  General  Grant.  The  detailed  manner  of 
accomplishing  all  these  results  will  be  communicated  in  due  season,  and 
these  general  points  are  only  made  known  at  this  time,  that  commanders 
may  study  the  maps,  and  also  that  in  the  event  of  non-receipt  of  orders  all 
may  act  in  perfect  concert  by  following  the  general  movement,  unless 
specially  detached. 

You  all  now  have  the  same  map,  so  that  no  mistakes  or  confusion  need 
result  from  different  names  of  localities.  All  possible  preparations  as  to 
wagons,  provisions,  axes,  and  intrenching-tools,  should  be  made  in  advance, 
so  that  when  we  do  land  there  will  be  no  want  of  them.  When  we  begin 
to  act  on  shore,  we  must  do  the  work  quickly  and  effectually.  The  gun 
boats  under  Admiral  Porter  will  do  their  full  share,  and  I  feel  every  assur 
ance  that  the  army  will  not  fall  short  in  its  work. 

Division  commanders  may  read  this  to  regimental  commanders,  and  fur 
nish  brigade  commanders  a  copy.     They  should  also  cause  as  many  copies 
of  the  map  to  be  made  on  the  same  scale  as  possible,  being  very  careful  in . 
copying  the  names. 


1862-'63.}  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  289 

The  points  marked  e  and  g  (Allan's  and  Mount  Albans)  are  evidently 
strategical  points  that  will  figure  in  our  future  operations,  and  these  posi 
tions  should  be  "well  studied. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"W.  T.  SHEEMAN,  Major- General. 

The  Mississippi  boats  were  admirably  calculated  for  handling 
troops,  horses,  guns,  stores,  etc.,  easy  of  embarkation  and  dis 
embarkation,  and  supplies  of  all  kinds  were  abundant,  except 
fuel.  For  this  we  had  to  rely  on  wood,  but  most  of  the  wood- 
yards,  so  common  on  the  river  before  the  war,  had  been  ex 
hausted,  so  that  we  had  to  use  fence-rails,  old  dead  timber,  the 
logs  of  houses,  etc.  Having  abundance  of  men  and  plenty  of 
axes,  each  boat  could  daily  procure  a  supply. 

In  proceeding  down  the  river,  one  or  more  of  Admiral  Por 
ter's  gunboats  took  the  lead  ;  others  were  distributed  through 
out  the  column,  and  some  brought  up  the  rear.  We  manoeuvred 
by  divisions  and  brigades  when  in  motion,  and  it  was  a  magnifi 
cent  sight  as  we  thus  steamed  down  the  river.  What  few  in 
habitants  remained  at  the  plantations  on  the  river-bank  were 
unfriendly,  except  the  slaves ;  some  few  guerrilla-parties  in 
fested  the  banks,  but  did  not  dare  to  molest  so  strong  a  force  as 
I  then  commanded. 

We  reached  Milliken's  Bend  on  Christmas-day,  when  I 
detached  one  brigade  (Burbridge's),  of  A.  J.  Smith's  division, 
to  the  southwest,  to  break  up  the  railroad  leading  from  Vicks- 
burg  toward  Shreveport,  Louisiana.  Leaving  A.  J.  Smith's 
division  there  to  await  the  return  of  Burbridge,  the  remain 
ing  three  divisions  proceeded,  on  the  26th,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Yazoo,  and  up  that  river  to  Johnson's  plantation,  thir 
teen  miles,  and  there  disembarked — Steele's  division  above 
the  mouth  of  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Morgan's  division  near  the 
house  of  Johnson  (which  had  been  burned  by  the  gunboats 
on  a  former  occasion),  and  M.  L.  Smith's  just  below.  A.  J. 
Smith's  division  arrived  the  next  night,  and  disembarked  be 
low  that  of  M.  L.  Smith.  The  place  of  our  disembarkation  was 
in  fact  an  island,  separated  from  the  high  bluff  known  as  Walnut 
Hills,  on  which  the  town  of  Yicksburg  stands,  by  a  broad  and 
19 


290  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

shallow  bayou — evidently  an  old  channel  of  the  Yazoo.  On  our 
right  was  another  wide  bayou,  known  as  Old  River ;  and  on  the 
left  still  another,  much  narrower,  but  too  deep  to  be  forded, 
known  as  Chickasaw  Bayou.  All  the  island  was  densely  wooded, 
except  Johnson's  plantation,  immediately  on  the  bank  of  the 
Yazoo,  and  a  series  of  old  cotton-fields  along  Chickasaw  Bayou. 
There  was  a  road  from  Johnson's  plantation  'directly  to  Yicks- 
burg,  but  it  crossed  numerous  bayous  and  deep  swamps  by 
bridges,  which  had  been  destroyed;  and  this  road  debouched 
on  level  ground  at  the  foot  of  the  Yicksburg  bluff,  opposite 
strong  forts,  well  prepared  and  defended  by  heavy  artillery.  On 
this  road  I  directed  General  A.  J.  Smith's  division,  not  so  much 
by  way  of  a  direct  attack  as  a  diversion  and  threat. 

Morgan  was  to  move  to  his  left,  to  reach  Chickasaw  Bayou, 
and  to  follow  it  toward  the  bluff,  about  four  miles  above 
A.  J.  Smith.  Steele  was  on  Morgan's  left,  across  Chickasaw 
Bayou,  and  M.  L.  Smith  on  Morgan's  right.  "We  met  light  re 
sistance  at  all  points,  but  skirmished,  on  the  27th,  up  to  the 
main  bayou,  that  separated  our  position  from  the  bluffs  of 
Yicksburg,  which  were  found  to  be  strong  by  nature  and  by  art, 
and  seemingly  well  defended.  On  reconnoitring  the  front  in 
person,  during  the  27th  and  28th,  I  became  satisfied  that  Gen 
eral  A.  J.  Smith  could  not  cross  the  intervening  obstacles  under 
the  heavy  fire  of  the  forts  immediately  in  his  front,  and  that  the 
main  bayou  was  impassable,  except  at  two  points — one  near  the 
head  of  Chickasaw  Bayou,  in  front  of  Morgan,  and  the  other 
about  a  mile  lower  down,  in  front  of  M.  L.  Smith's  division. 

During  the  general  reconnoissance  of  the  28th  General  Mor 
gan  L.  Smith  received  a  severe  and  dangerous  wound  in  his  hip, 
which  completely  disabled  him  and  compelled  him  to  go  to  his 
steamboat,  leaving  the  command  of  his  division  to  Brigadier- 
General  D.  Stuart ;  but  I  drew  a  part  of  General  A.  J.  Smith's 
division,  and  that  general  himself,  to  the  point  selected  for 
passing  the  bayou,  and  committed  that  special  task  to  his  man 
agement. 

General  Steele  reported  that  it  was  physically  impossible  to 
reach  the  bluffs  from  his  position,  so  I  ordered  him  to  leave 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  291 

• 

but  a  show  of  force  there,  and  to  return  to  the  west  side  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou  in  support  of  General  Morgan's  left.  He  had 
to  countermarch  and  use  the  steamboats  in  the  Yazoo  to  get  on 
the  firm  ground  on  our  side  of  the  Chickasaw. 

On  the  morning  of  December  29th  all  the  troops  were  ready 
and  in  position.  The  first  step  was  to  make  a  lodgment  on  the 
foot-hills  and  bluffs  abreast  of  our  position,  while  diversions  were 
made  by  the  navy  toward  Haines's  Bluff,  and  by  the  first  division 
directly  toward  Yicksburg.  I  estimated  the  enemy's  forces,  then 
strung  from  Yicksburg  to  Haines's  Bluff,  at  fifteen  thousand 
men,  commanded  by  the  rebel  Generals  Martin  Luther  Smith 
and  Stephen  D.  Lee.  Aiming  to  reach  firm  ground  beyond  this 
bayou,  and  to  leave  as  little  time  for  our  enemy  to  ree'nf orce  as 
possible,  I  determined  to  make  a  show  of  attack  along  the  whole 
front,  but  to  break  across  the  bayou  at  the  two  points  named, 
and  gave  general  orders  accordingly.  I  pointed  out  to  General 
Morgan  the  place  where  he  could  pass  the  bayou,  and  he  an 
swered,  "  General,  in  ten  minutes  after  you  give  the  signal  I'll 
be  on  those  hills."  He  was  to  lead  his  division  in  person,  and 
was  to  be  supported  by  Steele's  division.  The  front  was  very 
narrow,  and  immediately  opposite,  at  the  base  of  the  hills  about 
three  hundred  yards  from  the  bayou,  was  a  rebel  battery,  sup 
ported  by  an  infantry  force  posted  on  the  spurs  of  the  hill 
behind.  To  draw  attention  from  this,  the  real  point  of  attack, 
I  gave  instructions  to  commence  the  attack  at  the  flanks. 

I  went  in  person  about  a  mile  to  the  right  rear  of  Morgan's 
position,  at  a  place  convenient  to  receive  reports  from  all 
other  parts  of  the  line ;  and  about  noon  of  December  29th  gave 
the  orders  and  signal  for  the  main  attack.  A  heavy  artillery-fire 
opened  along  our  whole  line,  and  was  replied  to  by  the  rebel 
batteries,  and  soon  the  infantry-fire  opened  heavily,  especially  on 
A.  J.  Smith's  front,  and  in  front  of  General  George  W.  Morgan. 
One  brigade  (De  Courcey's)  of  Morgan's  troops  crossed  the  bayou 
safely,  but  took  to  cover  behind  the  bank,  and  could  not  be  moved 
forward.  Frank  Blair's  brigade,  of  Steele's  division,  in  support, 
also  crossed  the  bayou,  passed  over  the  space  of  level  ground 
to  the  foot  of  the  hills ;  but,  being  unsupported  by  Morgan,  and 


292  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'68. 

meeting  a  very  severe  cross-fire  of  artillery,  was  staggered  and 
gradually  fell  back,  leaving  about  five  hundred  men  behind, 
wounded  and  prisoners ;  among  them  Colonel  Thomas  Fletcher, 
afterward  Governor  of  Missouri.  Thayer's  brigade,  of  Steele's 
division,  took  a  wrong  direction,  and  did  not  cross  the  bayou  at 
all ;  nor  did  General  Morgan  cross  in  person.  This  attack  failed ; 
and  I  have  always  felt  that  it  was  due  to  the  failure  of  Gen 
eral  G.  ~W.  Morgan  to  obey  his  orders,  or  to  fulfill  his  promise 
made  in  person.  Had  he  used  with  skill  and  boldness  one 
of  his  brigades,  in  addition  to  that  of  Blair's,  he  could  have 
made  a  lodgment  on  the  bluff,  which  would  have  opened  the 
door  for  our  whole  force  to  follow.  Meantime  the  Sixth  Mis 
souri  Infantry,  at  heavy  loss,  had  also  crossed  the  bayou  at  the 
narrow  passage  lower  down,  but  could  not  ascend  the  steep  bank ; 
right  over  their  heads  was  a  rebel  battery,  whose  fire  was  in  a 
measure  kept  down  by  our  sharp-shooters  (Thirteenth  United 
States  Infantry)  posted  behind  logs,  stumps,  and  trees,  on  our 
side  of  the  bayou. 

The  men  of  the  Sixth  Missouri  actually  scooped  out  with 
their  hands  caves  in  the  bank,  which  sheltered  them  against  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  who,  right  over  their  heads,  held  their  mus 
kets  outside  the  parapet  vertically,  and  fired  down  So  critical 
was  the  position,  that  we  could  not  recall  the  men  till  after  dark, 
and  then  one  at  a  time.  Our  loss  had  been  pretty  heavy,  and  we 
had  accomplished  nothing,  and  had  inflicted  little  loss  on  our 
enemy.  At  first  I  intended  to  renew  the  assault,  but  soon  be 
came  satisfied  that,  the  enemy's  attention  having  been  drawn  to 
the  only  two  practicable  points,  it  would  prove  too  costly,  and 
accordingly  resolved  to  look  elsewhere  for  a  point  below  Haines's 
Bluff,  or  Blake's  plantation.  That  night  I  conferred  with  Ad 
miral  Porter,  who  undertook  to  cover  the  landing ;  and  the  next 
day  (December  30th)  the  boats  were  all  selected,  but  so  alarmed 
were  the  captains  and  pilots,  that  we  had  to  place  sentinels  with 
loaded  muskets  to  insure  their  remaining  at  their  posts.  Under 
cover  of  night,  Steele's  division,  and  one  brigade  of  Stuart's, 
were  drawn  out  of  line,  and  quietly  embarked  on  steamboats 
in  the  Tazoo  Biver.  The  night  of  December  30th  was  ap- 


1562-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AEKANSAS  POST.  293 

pointed  for  this  force,  under  the  command  of  General  Fred 
Steele,  to  proceed  up  the  Yazoo  just  below  Haines's  Bluff, 
there  to  disembark  about  daylight,  and  make  a  dash  for  the 
hills.  Meantime  we  had  strengthened  our  positions  near  Chick- 
asaw  Bayou,  had  all  our  guns  in  good  position  with  parapets, 
and  had  every  thing  ready  to  renew  our  attack  as  soon  as  we 
heard  the  sound  of  battle  above. 

At  midnight  I  left  Admiral  Porter  on  his  gunboat ;  he  had 
his  fleet  ready  and  the  night  was  propitious.  I  rode  back  to 
camp  and  gave  orders  for  all  to  be  ready  by  daybreak ;  but  when 
daylight  came  I  received  a  note  from  General  Steele  reporting 
that,  before  his  boats  had  got  up  steam,  the  fog  had  settled  down 
on  the  river  so  thick  and  impenetrable,  that  it  was  simply  im 
possible  to  move ;  so  the  attempt  had  to  be  abandoned.  The 
rain,  too,  began  to  fall,  and  the  trees  bore  water-marks  ten  feet 
above  our  heads,  so  that  I  became  convinced  that  the  part  of  wis 
dom  was  to  withdraw.  I  ordered  the  stores  which  had  been 
landed  to  be  reembarked  on  the  boats,  and  preparations  made 
for  all  the  troops  to  regain  their  proper  boats  during  the  night 
of  the  1st  of  January,  1863.  From  our  camps  at  Chickasaw  we 
could  hear  the  whistles  of  the  trains  arriving  in  Vicksburg, 
could  see  battalions  of  men  marching  up  toward  Haines's  Bluff, 
and  taking  post  at  all  points  in  our  front.  I  was  more  than  con 
vinced  that  heavy  ree'nf orcements  were  coming  to  Yicksburg ; 
whether  from  Pemberton  at  Grenada,  Bragg  in  Tennessee,  or 
from  other  sources,  I  could  not  tell ;  but  at  no  point  did  the  enemy 
assume  the  offensive ;  and  when  we  drew  off  our  rear-guard,  on 
the  morning  of  the  2d,  they  simply  followed  up  the  movement, 
timidly.  Up  to  that  moment  I  had  not  heard  a  word  from 
General  Grant  since  leaving  Memphis ;  and  most  assuredly  I  had 
listened  for  days  for  the  sound  of  his  guns  in  the  direction  of 
Yazoo  City.  On  the  morning  of  January  2d,  all  my  command 
were  again  afloat  in  their  proper  steamboats,  when  Admiral  Por 
ter  told  me  that  General  McClernand  had  arrived  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Yazoo  in  the  steamboat  Tigress,  and  that  it  was  rumored 
he  had  come  down  to  supersede  me.  Leaving  my  whole  force 
where  it  was,  I  ran  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo  in  a  small 


294:  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

tug-boat,  and  there  found  General  McClernand,  with  orders  from 
the  War  Department  to  command  the  expeditionary  force  on 
the  Mississippi  River.  I  explained  what  had  been  done,  and 
what  was  the  actual  state  of  facts ;  that  the  heavy  reenf  orce- 
ments  pouring  into  Yicksburg  must  be  Pemberton's  army,  and 
that  General  Grant  must  be  near  at  hand.  He  informed  me 
that  General  Grant  was  not  coming  at  all ;  that  his  depot  at 
Holly  Springs  had  been  captured  by  Yan  Dorn,  and  that  he 
had  drawn  back  from  Coffeeville  and  Oxford  to  Holly  Springs 
and  Lagrange ;  and,  further,  that  Quimby's  division  of  Grant's 
army  was  actually  at  Memphis  for  stores  when  he  passed  down. 
This,  then,  fully  explained  how  Yicksburg  was  being  ree'n- 
f orced.  I  saw  that  any  attempt  on  the  place  from  the  Yazoo 
was  hopeless ;  and,  with  General  McClernand's  full  approval, 
we  all  came  out  of  the  Yazoo,  and  on  the  3d  of  January  ren 
dezvoused  at  Milliken's  Bend,  about  ten  miles  above.  On  the 
4th  General  McClernand  issued  his  General  Order  No.  1,  as 
suming  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  divided  into 
two  corps;  the  first  to  be  commanded  by  General  Morgan, 
composed  of  his  own  and  A.  J.  Smith's  divisions;  and  the 
second,  composed  of  Steele's  and  Stuart's  divisions,  to  be  com 
manded  by  me.  Up  to  that  time  the  army  had  been  styled  the 
right  wing  of  (General  Grant's)  Thirteenth  Army  Corps,  and 
numbered  about  thirty  thousand  men.  The  aggregate  loss  dur 
ing  the  time  of  my  command,  mostly  on  the  29th  of  December, 
was  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  killed,  nine  hundred  and 
thirty  wounded,  and  seven  hundred  and  forty-three  prisoners. 
According  to  Badeau,  the  rebels  lost  sixty-three  killed,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-four  wounded,  and  ten  prisoners. 

It  afterward  transpired  that  Yan  Dorn  had  captured  Holly 
Springs  on  the  20th  of  December,  and  that  General  Grant  fell 
back  very  soon  after.  General  Pemberton,  who  had  telegraphic 
and  railroad  communication  with  Yicksburg,  was  therefore  at 
perfect  liberty  to  reenf orce  the  place  with  a  garrison  equal,  if 
not  superior,  to  my  command.  The  rebels  held  high,  command 
ing  ground,  and  could  see  every  movement  of  our  men  and  boats, 
so  that  the  only  possible  hope  of  success  consisted  in  celerity 


1862-'63J  MEMPHIS  TO  AKKANSAS  POST.  295 

and  surprise,  and  in  General  Grant's  holding  all  of  Pemberton's 
army  harcl  pressed  meantime.  General  Grant  was  perfectly 
aware  of  this,  and  had  sent  me  word  of  the  change,  but  it  did 
not  reach  me  in  time ;  indeed,  I  was  not  aware  of  it  until  after 
my  assault  of  December  29th,  and  until  the  news  was  brought  me 
by  General  McClernand  as  related.  General  McClernand  was 
appointed  to  this  command  by  President  Lincoln  in  person,  who 
had  no  knowledge  of  what  was  then  going  on  down  the  river. 
Still,  my  relief,  on  the  heels  of  a  failure,  raised  the  usual  cry,  at 
the  North,  of  "  repulse,  failure,  and  bungling."  There  was  no 
bungling  on  my  part,  for  I  never  worked  harder  or  with  more 
intensity  of  purpose  in  my  life ;  and  General  Grant,  long  after, 
in  his  report  of  the  operations  of  the  siege  of  Yicksburg,  gave 
us  all  full  credit  for  the  skill  of  the  movement,  and  described 
the  almost  impregnable  nature  of  the  ground ;  and,  although  in 
all  official  reports  I  assumed  the  whole  responsibility,  I  have 
ever  felt  that  had  General  Morgan  promptly  and  skillfully  sus 
tained  the  lead  of  Frank  Blair's  brigade  on  that  day,  we  should 
have  broken  the  rebel  line,  and  effected  a  lodgment  on  the  hills 
behind  Yicksburg.  General  Frank  Blair  was  outspoken  and 
indignant  against  Generals  Morgan  and  De  Courcey  at  the 
time,  and  always  abused  me  for  assuming  the  whole  blame. 
But,  had  we  succeeded,  we  might  have  found  ourselves  in  a 
worse  trap,  when  General  Pemberton  was  at  full  liberty  to  turn 
his  whole  force  against  us. 

While  I  was  engaged  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Admiral  Porter 
was  equally  busy  in  the  Yazoo  River,  threatening  the  enemy's 
batteries  at  Haines's  and  Snyder's  Bluffs  above.  In  a  sharp  en 
gagement  he  lost  one  of  his  best  officers,  in  the  person  of  Cap 
tain  Gwin,  United  States  Navy,  who,  though  on  board  an  iron 
clad,  insisted  on  keeping  his  post  on  deck,  where  he  was  struck 
in  the  breast  by  a  round  shot,  which  carried  away  the  muscle, 
and  contused  the  lung  within,  from  which  he  died  a  few  days 
after.  We  of  the  army  deplored  his  loss  quite  as  much  as  his 
fellows  of  the  navy,  for  he  had  been  intimately  associated  with 
us  in  our  previous  operations  on  the  Tennessee  River,  at  Shiloh 
and  above,  and  we  had  come  to  regard  him  as  one  of  us. 


296  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  [1862-63 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1863,  our  fleet  of  transports  was 
collected  at  Milliken's  Bend,  about  ten  miles  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Yazoo,  Admiral  Porter  remaining  with  his  gunboats  at  the 
Yazoo.  General  John  A.  McClernand  was  in  chief  command, 
General  George  "W.  Morgan  commanded  the  First  Corps  and  I 
the  Second  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi. 

I  had  learned  that  a  small  steamboat,  the  Blue  Wing,  with 
a  mail,  towing  coal-barges  and  loaded  with  ammunition,  had  left 
Memphis  for  the  Yazoo,  about  the  20th  of  December,  had 
been  captured  by  a  rebel  boat  which  had  come  out  of  the  Ar 
kansas  River,  and  had  been  carried  up  that  river  to  Fort  Hind- 
man.  "We  had  reports  from  this  fort,  usually  called  the  "  Post 
of  Arkansas,"  about  forty  miles  above  the  mouth,  that  it  was 
held  by  about  five  thousand  rebels,  was  an  inclosed  work,  com 
manding  the  passage  of  the  river,  but  supposed  to  be  easy  of 
capture  from  the  rear.  At  that  tune  I  don't  think  General  Mc 
Clernand  had  any  definite  views  or  plans  of  action.  If  so,  he 
did  not  impart  them  to  me.  ~He  spoke  in  general  terms  of 
opening  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi,  "  cutting  his  way  to 
the  sea,"  etc.,  etc.,  but  the  modus  operandi  was  not  so  clear. 
Knowing  full  well  that  we  could  not  carry  on  operations  against 
Yicksburg  as  long  as  the  rebels  held  the  Post  of  Arkansas, 
whence  to  attack  our  boats  coming  and  going  without  convoy, 
I  visited  him  on  his  boat,  the  Tigress,  took  with  me  a  boy 
who  had  been  on  the  Blue  Wing,  and  had  escaped,  and  asked 
leave  to  go  up  the  Arkansas,  to  clear  out  the  Post.  He  made 
various  objections,  but  consented  to  go  with  me  to  see  Admiral 
Porter  about  it.  "We  got  up  steam  in  the  Forest  Queen,  dur 
ing  the  night  of  January  4th,  stopped  at  the  Tigress,  took 
General  McClernand  on  board,  and  proceeded  down  the  river 
by  night  to  the  admiral's  boat,  the  Black  Hawk,  lying  in 
the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo.  It  must  have  been  near  midnight, 
and  Admiral  Porter  was  in  deshabille.  "We  were  seated  in  his 
cabin  and  I  explained  my  views  about  Arkansas  Post,  and  asked 
his  cooperation.  He  said  that  he  was  short  of  coal,  and  could 
not  use  wood  in  his  iron-clad  boats.  Of  these  I  asked  for  two, 
to  be  commanded  by  Captain  Shirk  or  Phelps,  or  some  officer 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  297 

of  my  acquaintance.  At  that  moment,  poor  Gwin  lay  on  his 
bed,  in  a  state-room  close  by,  dying  from  the  effect  of  the  can 
non  shot  received  at  Haines's  Bluff,  as  before  described.  Por 
ter's  manner  to  McClernand  was  so  curt  that  I  invited  him  out 
into  a  forward-cabin  where  he  had  his  charts,  and  asked  him 
what  he  meant  by  it.  He  said  that  "  he  did  not  like  him ; " 
that  in  "Washington,  before  coming  "West,  he  had  been  intro 
duced  to  him  by  President  Lincoln,  and  he  had  taken  a  strong 
prejudice  against  him.  I  begged  him,  for  the  sake  of  harmony, 
to  waive  that,  which  he  promised  to  do.  Returning  to  the  cabin, 
the  conversation  was  resumed,  and,  on  our  offering  to  tow  his 
gunboats  up  the  river  to  save  coal,  and  on  renewing  the  request 
for  Shirk  to  command  the  detachment,  Porter  said,  "  Suppose  I 
go  along  myself  ? "  I  answered,  if  he  would  do  so,  it  would 
insure  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  At;  that  time  I  supposed 
General'  McClernand  would  send  me  on  this  business,  but  he 
concluded  to  go  himself,  and  to  take  his  whole  force.  Orders 
were  at  once  issued  for  the  troops  not  to  disembark  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  but  to  remain  as  they  were  on  board  the  transports.  My 
two  divisions  were  commanded — the  First,  by  Brigadier-General 
Frederick  Steele,  with  three  brigades,  commanded  by  Brigadier- 
Generals  F.  P.  Blair,  C.  E.  Hovey,  and  J.  M.  Thayer;  the 
Second,  by  Brigadier-General  D.  Stuart,  with  two  brigades,  com 
manded  by  Colonels  G.  A.  Smith  and  T.  Kilby  Smith. 

The  whole  army,  embarked  on  steamboats  convoyed  by  the 
gunboats,  of  which  three  were  iron-clads,  proceeded  up  the 
Mississippi  River  to  the  mouth  of  White  River,  which  we 
reached  January  8th.  On  the  next  day  we  continued  up 
"White  River  to  the  "  Cut-off ; "  through  this  to  the  Arkan 
sas,  and  up  the  Arkansas  to  Notrib's  farm,  just  below  Fort 
Hindman.  Early  the  next  morning  we  disembarked.  Stuart's 
division,  moving  up  the  river  along  the  bank,  soon  encoun 
tered  a  force  of  the  enemy  intrenched  behind  a  line  of  earth 
works,  extending  from  the  river  across  to  the  swamp.  I  took 
Steele's  division,  marching  by  the  flank  by  a  road  through 
the  swamp  to  the  firm  ground  behind,  and  was  moving  up  to 
get  to  the  rear  of  Fort  Hindman,  when  General  McClernand 


298  MEMPHIS  TO  AKKASTSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

overtook  me,  with  the  report  that  the  rebels  had  abandoned  their 
first  position,  and  had  fallen  back  into  the  fort.  By  his  orders, 
we  countermarched,  recrossed  the  swamp,  and  hurried  forward 
to  overtake  Stuart,  marching  for  Fort  Hindman.  The  first  line 
of  the  rebels  was  about  four  miles  below  Fort  Hindman,  and  the 
intervening  space  was  densely  wooded  and  obscure,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  some  old  fields  back  of  and  close  to  the  fort.  During 
the  night,  which  was  a  bright  moonlight  one,  we  reconnoitred 
close  up,  and  found  a  large  number  of  huts  which  had  been 
abandoned,  and  the  whole  rebel  force  had  fallen  back  into  and 
about  the  fort.  Personally  I  crept  up  to  a  stump  so  close  that 
I  could  hear  the  enemy  hard  at  work,  pulling  down  houses,  cut 
ting  with  axes,  and  building  intrenchments.  I  could  almost  hear 
their  words,  and  I  was  thus  listening  when,  about  4  A.  M.  the 
bugler  in  the  rebel  camp  sounded  as  pretty  a  reveille  as  I  ever 
listened  to. 

When  daylight  broke  it  revealed  to  us  a  new  line  of  para 
pet  straight  across  the  peninsula,  connecting  Fort  Hindman, 
on  the  Arkansas  River  bank,  with  the  impassable  swamp  about 
a  mile  to  its  left  or  rear.  This  peninsula  was  divided  into  two 
nearly  equal  parts  by  a  road.  My  command  had  the  ground  to 
the  right  of  the  road,  and  Morgan's  corps  that  to  the  left.  Mc- 
Clernand  had  his  quarters  still  on  the  Tigress,  back  at  Notrib's 
farm,  but  moved  forward  that  morning  (January  llth)  to  a 
place  in  the  woods  to  our  rear,  where  he  had  a  man  up  a  tree, 
to  observe  and  report  the  movements. 

There  was  a  general  understanding  with  Admiral  Porter 
that  he  was  to  attack  the  fort  with  his  three  ironclad  gunboats 
directly  by  its  water-front,  while  we  assaulted  by  land  in  the 
rear.  About  10  A.  M.  I  got  a  message  from  General  McCler- 
nand,  telling  me  where  he  could  be  found,  and  asking  me  what 
we  were  waiting  for.  I  answered  that  we  were  then  in  close 
contact  with  the  enemy,  viz.,  about  five  or  six  hundred  yards 
off;  that  the  next  movement  must  be  a  direct  assault ;  that  this 
should  be  simultaneous  along  the  whole  line ;  and  that  I  was 
waiting  to  hear  from  the  gunboats ;  asking  him  to  notify 
Admiral  Porter  that  we  were  all  ready.  In  about  half  an 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  299 

hour  I  heard  the  clear  ring  of  the  navy-guns ;  the  fire  gradu 
ally  increasing  in  rapidity  and  advancing  toward  the  fort.  I 
had  distributed  our  field-guns,  and,  when  I  judged  the  time 
had  come,  I  gave  the  orders  to  begin.  The  intervening  ground 
between  us  and  the  enemy  was  a  dead  level,  with  the  exception 
of  one  or  two  small  gullies,  and  our  men  had  no  cover  but  the 
few  standing  trees  and  some  logs  on  the  ground.  The  troops 
advanced  well  under  a  heavy  fire,  once  or  twice  falling  to  the 
ground  for  a  sort  of  rest  or  pause.  Every  tree  had  its  group  of 
men,  and  behind  each  log  was  a  crowd  of  sharp-shooters,  who 
kept  up  so  hot  a  fire  that  the  rebel  troops  fired  wild.  The  fire 
of  the  fort  proper  was  kept  busy  by  the  gunboats  and  Morgan's 
corps,  so  that  all  my  corps  had  to  encounter  was  the  direct  fire 
from  the  newly-built  parapet  across  the  peninsula.  This  line 
had  three  sections  of  field-guns,  that  kept  things  pretty  lively, 
and  several  round-shot  came  so  near  me  that  I  realized  that 
they  were  aimed  at  my  staff ;  so  I  dismounted,  and  made  them 
scatter. 

As  the  gunboats  got  closer  up  I  saw  their  flags  actually 
over  the  parapet  of  Fort  Hindman,  and  the  rebel  gunners 
scamper  out  of  the  embrasures  and  run  down  into  the  ditch  be 
hind.  About  the  same  time  a  man  jumped  up  on  the  rebel 
parapet  just  where  the  road  entered,  waving  a  large  white  flag, 
and  numerous  smaller  white  rags  appeared  above  the  parapet 
along  the  whole  line.  I  immediately  ordered,  "  Cease  firing  ! " 
and  sent  the  same  word  down  the  line  to  General  Steele,  who 
had  made  similar  progress  on  the  right,  following  the  border  of 
the  swamp.  I  ordered  my  aide,  Colonel  Dayton,  to  jump  on 
his  horse  and  ride  straight  up  to  the  large  white  flag,  and  when 
his  horse  was  on  the  parapet  I  followed  with  the  rest  of  my 
staff.  All  firing  had  ceased,  except  an  occasional  shot  away  to 
the  right,  and  one  of  the  captains  (Smith)  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regulars  was  wounded  after  the  display  of  the  white  flag.  On 
entering  the  line,  I  saw  that  our  muskets  and  guns  had  done 
good  execution ;  for  there  was  a  horse-battery,  and  every  horse 
lay  dead  in  the  traces.  The  fresh-made  parapet  had  been 
knocked  down  in  many  places,  and  dead  men  lay  around  very 


300  MEMPHIS  TO  AKKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

thick.  I  inquired  who  commanded  at  that  point,  and  a  Colonel 
Garland  stepped  up  and  said  that  he  commanded  that  brigade. 
I  ordered  him  to  form  his  brigade,  stack  arms,  hang  the  belts 
on  the  muskets,  and  stand  waiting  for  orders.  Stuart's  division 
had  been  halted  outside  the  parapet.  I  then  sent  Major  Ham 
mond  down  the  rebel  line  to  the  right,  with  orders  to  stop 
Steele's  division  outside,  and  to  have  the  other  rebel  brigade 
stack  its  arms  in  like  manner,  and  to  await  further  orders. 
I  inquired  of  Colonel  Garland  who  commanded  in  chief,  and  he 
said  that  General  Churchill  did,  and  that  he  was  inside  the  fort. 
I  then  rode  into  the  fort,  which  was  well  built,  with  good  par 
apets,  drawbridge,  and  ditch,  and  was  an  inclosed  work  of  four 
bastions.  I  found  it  full  of  soldiers  and  sailors,  its  parapets 
toward  the  river  well  battered  in,  and  Porter's  gunboats  in  the 
river,  close  against  the  fort,  with  their  bows  on  shore.  I  soon 
found  General  Churchill,  in  conversation  with  Admiral  Porter 
and  General  A.  J.  Smith,  and  about  this  time  my  adjutant- 
general,  Major  J.  H.  Hammond,  came  and  reported  that  Gen 
eral  Deshler,  who  commanded  the  rebel  brigade  facing  and  op 
posed  to  Steele,  had  refused  to  stack  arms  and  surrender,  on 
the  ground  that  he  had  received  no  orders  from  his  com 
manding  general ;  that  nothing  separated  this  brigade  from 
Steele's  men  except  the  light  parapet,  and  that  there  might  be 
trouble  there  at  any  moment.  I  advised  General  Churchill  to 
send  orders  at  once,  because  a  single  shot  might  bring  the  whole 
of  Steele's  division  on  Deshler's  brigade,  and  I  would  not  be 
responsible  for  the  consequences ;  soon  afterward,  we  both  con 
cluded  to  go  in  person.  General  Churchill  had  the  horses  of 
himself  and  staff  in  the  ditch ;  they  were  brought  in,  and  we 
rode  together  to  where  Garland  was  standing,  and  Churchill 
spoke  to  him  in  an  angry  tone,  "Why  did  you  display  the 
white  flag ! "  Garland  replied,  "  I  received  orders  to  do  so  from 
one  of  your  staff."  Churchill  denied  giving  such  an  order,  and 
angry  words  passed  between  them.  I  stopped  them,  saying 
that  it  made  little  difference  then,  as  they  were  in  our  power. 
We  continued  to  ride  down  the  line  to  its  extreme  point, 
where  we  found  Deshler  in  person,  and  his  troops  were  still 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  ARKANSAS  POST.  301 

standing  to  tne  parapet  with  their  muskets  in  hand.  Steele's 
men  were  on  the  outside.  I  asked  Deshler :  "  What  does  this 
mean  ?  You  are  a  regular  officer,  and  ought  to  know  better." 
He  answered,  snappishly,  that  "  he  had  received  no  orders  to 
surrender ; "  when  General  Churchill  said :  "  You  see,  sir,  that 
we  are  in  their  power,  and  you  may  surrender."  Deshler  turned 
to  his  staff-officers  and  ordered  them  to  repeat  the  command  to 
"  stack  arms,"  etc.,  to  the  colonels  of  his  brigade.  I  was  on  my 
horse,  and  he  was  on  foot.  "Wishing  to  soften  the  blow  of  de 
feat,  I  spoke  to  him  kindly,  saying  that  I  knew  a  family  of 
Deshlers  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  inquired  if  they  were  relations 
of  his.  He  disclaimed  any  relation  with  people  living  north  of 
the  Ohio,  in  an  offensive  tone,  and  I  think  I  gave  him  a  piece  of 
my  mind  that  he  did  not  relish.  He  was  a  West  Point  grad 
uate,  small  but  very  handsome,  and  was  afterward  killed  in 
battle.  I  never  met  him  again. 

Returning  to  the  position  where  I  had  first  entered  the  rebel 
line,  I  received  orders  from  General  McClernand,  by  one  of  his 
staff,  to  leave  General  A.  J.  Smith  in  charge  of  the  fort  and 
prisoners,  and  with  my  troops  to  remain  outside.  The  officer 
explained  that  the  general  was  then  on  the  Tigress,  which  had 
moved  up  from  below,  to  a  point  in  the  river  just  above  the  fort ; 
and  not  understanding  his  orders,  I  concluded  to  go  and  see  him 
in  person.  My  troops  were  then  in  possession  of  two  of  the 
three  brigades  which  composed  the  army  opposed  to  us ;  and  my 
troops  were  also  in  possession  of  all  the  ground  of  the  peninsula 
outside  the  "  fort  proper"  (Hindman).  I  found  General  McCler 
nand  on  the  Tigress,  in  high  spirits.  He  said  repeatedly :  "  Glo 
rious  1  glorious !  my  star  is  ever  in  the  ascendant ! "  He  spoke 
complimentarily  of  the  troops,  but  was  extremely  jealous  of  the 
navy.  He  said :  " I'll  make  a  splendid  report ; "  "I  had  a  man 
up  a  tree ; "  etc.  I  was  very  hungry  and  tired,  and  fear  I  did 
not  appreciate  the  honors  in  reserve  for  us,  and  asked  for  some 
thing  to  eat  and  drink.  He  very  kindly  ordered  something  to 
be  brought,  and  explained  to  me  that  by  his  "  orders  "  he  did  not 
wish  to  interfere  with  the  actual  state  of  facts ;  that  General  A. 
J.  Smith  would  occupy  "  Fort  Hindman,"  which  his  troops  had 


302  MEMPHIS  TO  AKKANSAS  POST.  [1862-'63. 

first  entered,  and  I  could  hold  the  lines  outside,  and  go  on  se 
curing  the  prisoners  and  stores  as  I  had  begun.  I  returned  to 
the  position  of  Garland's  brigade  and  gave  the  necessary  orders 
for  marching  all  the  prisoners,  disarmed,  to  a  pocket  formed  by 
the  river  and  two  deep  gullies  just  above  the  fort,  by  which 
time  it  had  become  quite  dark. .  After  dark  another  rebel  regi 
ment  arrived  from  Pine  Bluff,  marched  right  in,  and  was  also 
made  prisoners.  There  seemed  to  be  a  good  deal  of  feeling 
among  the  rebel  officers  against  Garland,  who  asked  leave  to  stay 
with  me  that  night,  to  which  I  of  course  consented.  Just  out 
side  the  rebel  parapet  was  a  house  which  had  been  used  for  a  hos 
pital.  I  had  a  room  cleaned  out,  and  occupied  it  that  night.  A 
cavalry-soldier  lent  me  his  battered  coffee-pot  with  some  coffee 
and  scraps  of  hard  bread  out  of  his  nose-bag ;  Garland  and  I 
made  some  coffee,  ate  our  bread  together,  and  talked  politics  by 
the  fire  till  quite  late  at  night,  when  we  lay  down  on  straw  that 
was  saturated  with  the  blood  of  dead  or  wounded  men.  The 
next  day  the  prisoners  were  all  collected  on  their  boats,  lists  were 
made  out,  and  orders  given  for  their  transportation  to  St.  Louis, 
in  charge  of  my  aide,  Major  Sanger.  "We  then  proceeded  to 
dismantle  and  level  the  forts,  destroy  or  remove  the  stores,  and 
we  found  in  the  magazine  the  very  ammunition  which  had  been 
sent  for  us  in  the  Blue  Wing,  which  was  secured  and  afterward 
used  in  our  twenty-pound  Parrott  guns. 

On  the  13th  we  reembarked ;  the  whole  expedition  returned 
out  of  the  river  by  the  direct  route  down  the  Arkansas  dur 
ing  a  heavy  snow-storm,  and  rendezvoused  in  the  Mississippi, 
at  Napoleon,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  Here  General 
McClernand  told  me  he  had  received  a  letter  from  General 
Grant  at  Memphis,  who  disapproved  of  our  movement  up  the 
Arkansas;  but  that  communication  was  made  before  he  had 
learned  of  our  complete  success.  When  informed  of  this,  and 
of  the  promptness  with  which  it  had  been  executed,  he  could 
not  but  approve.  We  were  then  ordered  back  to  Milliken's 
Bend,  to  await  General  Grant's  arrival  in  person.  We  reached 
Milliken's  Bend  January  21st. 

McClernand's  report  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Hindman  almost 


1862-'63.]  MEMPHIS  TO  AEKAXSAS  POST.  303 

ignored  the  action  of  Porter's  fleet  altogether.  This  was  un 
fair,  for  I  know  that  the  admiral  led  his  fleet  in  person  in  the 
river-attack,  and  that  his  guns  silenced  those  of  Fort  Hindman, 
and  drove  the  gunners  into  the  ditch. 

The  aggregate  loss  in  my  corps  at  Arkansas  Post  was  five 
hundred  and  nineteen,  viz.,  four  officers  and  seventy-five  men 
killed,  thirty-four  officers  and  four  hundred  and  six  men 
wounded.  I  never  knew  the  losses  in  the  gunboat  fleet,  or  in 
Morgan's  corps ;  but  they  must  have  been  less  than  in  mine, 
which  was  more  exposed.  The  number  of  rebel  dead  must  have 
been  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty ;  of  prisoners,  by  actual  count, 
we  secured  four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-one,  and  sent 
them  north  to  St.  Louis. 


CHAPTEK   XII. 

VICKSBUBQ. 
JANTAEY  TO  JULY,    1863. 

THE  campaign  of  1863,  resulting  in  the  capture  of  Yicks- 
burg,  was  so  important,  that  its  history  has  been  well  studied 
and  well  described  in  all  the  books  treating  of  the  civil  war, 
more  especially  by  Dr.  Draper,  in  his  "History  of  the  Civil 
"War  in  America,"  and  in  Badeau's  "  Military  History  of  Gen 
eral  Grant."  In  the  latter  it  is  more  fully  and  accurately  given 
than  in  any  other,  and  is  well  illustrated  by  maps  and  original 
documents.  I  now  need  only  attempt  to  further  illustrate 
Badeau's  account  by  some  additional  details.  When  our  expe 
dition  came  out  of  the  Arkansas  River,  January  18, 1863,  and 
rendezvoused  at  the  river-bank,  in  front  of  the  town  of  Napo 
leon,  Arkansas,  we  were  visited  by  General  Grant  in  person, 
who  had  come  down  from  Memphis  in  a  steamboat.  Although 
at  this  time  Major-General  J.  A.  McClernand  was  in  command 
of  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  by  virtue  of  a  confidential 
order  of  the  War  Department,  dated  October  21,  1862,  which 
order  bore  the  indorsement  of  President  Lincoln,  General 
Grant  still  exercised  a  command  over  him,  by  reason  of  his  gen 
eral  command  of  the  Department  of  the  Tennessee.  By  an 
order  (No.  210)  of  December  18,  1862,  from  the  War  Depart 
ment,  received  at  Arkansas  Post,  the  Western  armies  had  been 
grouped  into  five  corps  cFarmee,  viz. :  the  Thirteenth,  Major- 
General  McClernand;  the  Fourteenth,  Major-General  George 
H.  Thomas,  in  Middle  Tennessee ;  the  Fifteenth,  Major-Gen 
eral  W.  T.  Sherman;  the  Sixteenth,  Major-General  Hurlbut, 
then  at  or  near  Memphis ;  and  the  Seventeenth,  Major-General 


1863.]  VICKSBURG.  305 

McPherson,  also  at  and  back  of  Memphis.  General  Grant 
when  at  Napoleon,  on  the  18th  of  January,  ordered  McCler- 
nand  with  his  own  and  my  corps  to  return  to  Yicksburg,  to 
disembark  on  the  west  bank,  and  to  resume  work  on  a  canal 
across  the  peninsula,  which  had  been  begun  by  General  Thomas 
Williams  the  summer  before,  the  object  being  to  turn  the  Mis 
sissippi  Eiver  at  that  point,  or  at  least  to  make  a  passage  for 
our  fleet  of  gunboats  and  transports  across  the  peninsula,  oppo 
site  Vicksburg.  General  Grant  then  returned  to  Memphis,  or 
dered  to  Lake  Providence,  about  sixty  miles  above  us,  McPher- 
son's  corps,  the  Seventeenth,  and  then  came  down  again  to  give 
his  personal  supervison  to  the  whole  movement. 

The  Mississippi  River  was  very  high  and  rising,  and  we 
began  that  system  of  canals  on  which  we  expended  so  much  hard 
work  fruitlessly :  first,  the  canal  at  Young's  plantation,  opposite 
Yicksburg ;  second,  that  at  Lake  Providence ;  and  third,  at  the 
Yazoo  Pass,  leading  into  the  head-waters  of  the  Yazoo  River. 
Early  in  February  the  gunboats  Indianola  and  Queen  of  the 
"West  ran  the  batteries  of  Yicksburg.  The  latter  was  afterward 
crippled  in  Red  River,  and  was  captured  by  the  rebels;  and 
the  Indianola  was  butted  and  sunk  about  forty  miles  below 
Yicksburg.  "We  heard  the  booming  of  the  guns,  but  did  not 
know  of  her  loss  till  some  days  after.  During  the  months  of 
January  and  February,  we  were  digging  the  canal  and  fighting 
off  the  water  of  the  Mississippi,  which  continued  to  rise  and 
threatened  to  drown  us.  "We  had  no  sure  place  of  refuge  except 
the  narrow  levee,  and  such  steamboats  as  remained  abreast  of 
our  camps.  My  two  divisions  furnished  alternately  a  detail  of 
five  hundred  men  a  day,  to  work  on  the  canal.  So  high  was 
the  water  in  the  beginning  of  March,  that  McClernand's  corps 
was  moved  to  higher  ground,  at  Milliken's  Bend,  but  I  re 
mained  at  Young's  plantation,  laid  off  a  due  proportion  of 
the  levee  for  each  subdivision  of  my  command,  and  assigned 
other  parts  to  such  steamboats  as  lay  at  the  levee.  My  own 
headquarters  were  in  Mrs.  Grove's  house,  which  had  the  water 
all  around  it,  and  could  only  be  reached  by  a  plank-walk  from 
the  levee,  built  on  posts. 
20 


306  VICKSBUKG.  [1863. 

General  Frederick  Steele  commanded  the  first  division,  and 
General  D.  Stuart  the  second ;  this  latter  division  had  been  re- 
enforced  by  General  Hugh  Ewing's  brigade,  which  had  arrived 
from  "West  Yirginia. 

At  the  time  of  its  date  I  received  the  following  note  from 
General  Grant : 

MILLIKEN'S  BEND,  March,  16,  1863. 
General  SHEBMAN. 

DEAB  SIB:  I  have  just  returned  from  a  reconnoissance  up  Steele's 
Bayou,  with  the  admiral  (Porter),  and  five  of  his  gunboats.  With  some 
labor  in  cutting  tree-tops  out  of  the  way,  it  will  be  navigable  for  any  class 
of  steamers. 

I  want  you  to  have  your  pioneer  corps,  or  one  regiment  of  good  men 
for  such  work,  detailed,  and  at  the  landing  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  party  will  want  to  take  with  them  their  rations,  arms,  and  suffi 
cient  camp  and  garrison  equipage  for  a  few  days.  I  will  have  a  boat  at 
any  place  you  may  designate,  as  early  as  the  men  can  be  there.  The  Eighth 
Missouri  (being  many  of  them  boatmen)  would  be  excellent  men  for  this 
purpose. 

As  soon  as  you  give  directions  for  these  men  to  be  in  readiness,  come 
up  and  see  me,  and  I  will  explain  fully.     The  tug  that  takes  this  is  in 
structed  to  wait  for  you.    A  full  supply  of  axes  will  be  required. 
Very  respectfully, 

TJ.  S.  GBANT,  Major- General. 

This  letter  was  instantly  (8  A.  M.)  sent  to  Colonel  Giles  A. 
Smith,  commanding  the  Eighth  Missouri,  with  orders  to  pre 
pare  immediately.  He  returned  it  at  9.15,  with  an  answer  that 
the  regiment  was  all  ready.  I  went  up  to  Milliken's  Bend  in 
the  tug,  and  had  a  conference  with  the  general,  resulting  in 
these  orders : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  TESTNESSEE,  ) 
BEFORE  VICKSBURO-,  March  16,  1863.         j 

Major-  General  W.  T.  SHEEMAN,  commanding  Fifteenth  Army  Corps. 

GEUEBAL  :  You  will  proceed  as  early  as  practicable  up  Steeie's  Bayou, 
and  through  Black  Bayou  to  Deer  Creek,  and  thence  with  the  gunboats 
now  there  by  any  route  they  may  take  to  get  into  the  Yazoo  Eiver,  for  the 
purpose  of  determining  the  feasibility  of  getting  an  army  through  that 
route  to  the  east  bank  of  that  river,  and  at  a  point  from  which  they  can 
act  advantageously  against  Vicksburg. 


1863.]  VICKSBUEG.  307 

Make  such  details  from  your  army  corps  as  may  be  required  to  clear  out 
the  channel  of  the  various  bayous  through  which  transports  would  have 
to  run,  and  to  hold  such  points  as  in  your  judgment  should  be  occupied. 

I  place  at  your  disposal  to-day  the  steamers  Diligent  and  Silver  "Wave, 
the  only  two  suitable  for  the  present  navigation  of  this  route.  Others  will 
be  supplied  you  as  fast  as  required,  and  they  can  be  got. 

I  have  given  directions  (and  you  may  repeat  them)  that  the  party  going 
on  board  the  steamer  Diligent  push  on  until  they  reach  Black  Bayou,  only 
stopping  sufficiently  long  at  any  point  before  reaching  there  to  remove  such 
obstructions  as  prevent  their  own  progress.  Captain  Kossak,  of  the  Engineers, 
will  go  with  this  party.  The  other  boat-load  will  commence  their  work  in 
Steele's  Bayou,  and  make  the  navigation  as  free  as  possible  all  the  way 
through. 

There  is  but  little  work  to  be  done  in  Steele's  Bayou,  except  for  about 
five  miles  about  midway  of  the  bayou.     In  this  portion  many  overhanging 
trees  will  have  to  be  removed,  and  should  be  dragged  out  of  the  channel. 
Very  respectfully, 

U.  S.  GEANT,  Major- General. 

On  returning  to  my  camp  at  Young's  Point,  I  started 
these  two  boats  up  the  Yazoo  and  Steele's  Bayou,  with  the 
Eighth  Missouri  and  some  pioneers,  with  axes,  saws,  and  all  the 
tools  necessary.  I  gave  orders  for  a  part  of  Stuart's  division  to 
proceed  in  the  large  boats  up  the  Mississippi  River  to  a  point  at 
Gwin's  plantation,  where  a  bend  of  Steele's  Bayou  neared  the 
main  river ;  and  the  next  day,  with  one  or  two  staff-officers  and 
orderlies,  got  a  navy-tug,  and  hurried  up  to  overtake  Admiral 
Porter.  About  sixty  miles  up  Steele's  Bayou  we  came  to  the 
gunboat  Price,  Lieutenant  "Woodworth,  United  States  Navy,  com 
manding,  and  then  turned  into  Black  Bayou,  a  narrow,  crooked 
channel,  obstructed  by  overhanging  oaks,  and  filled  with  cypress 
and  cotton-wood  trees.  The  gunboats  had  forced  their  way 
through,  pushing  aside  trees  a  foot  in  diameter.  In  about  four 
miles  we  overtook  the  gunboat  fleet  just  as  it  was  emerging  into 
Deer  Creek.  Along  Deer  Creek  the  alluvium  was  higher,  and 
there  was  a  large  cotton-plantation  belonging  to  a  Mr.  Hill,  who 
was  absent,  and  the  negroes  were  in  charge  of  the  place.  Here 
I  overtook  Admiral  Porter,  and  accompanied  him  a  couple  of 
miles  up  Deer  Creek,  which  was  much  wider  and  more  free  of 


308  VICKSBURG.  [1863. 

trees,  with  plantations  on  both  sides  at  intervals.  Admiral  Por 
ter  thought  he  had  passed  the  worst,  and  that  he  would  be  able 
to  reach  the  Rolling  Fork  and  Sunflower.  He  requested  me  to 
return  and  use  all  possible  means  to  clear  out  Black  Bayou.  I 
returned  to  Hill's  plantation,  which  was  soon  reached  by  Major 
Coleman,  with  a  part  of  the  Eighth  Missouri ;  the  bulk  of  the 
regiment  and  the  pioneers  had  been  distributed  along  the 
bayous,  and  set  to  work  under  the  general  supervision  of  Captain 
Kossak.  The  Diligent  and  Silver  Wave  then  returned  to  Gwin's 
plantation  and  brought  up  Brigadier- General  Giles  A.  Smith,  with 
the  Sixth  Missouri,  and  part  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 
Illinois.  Admiral  Porter  was  then  working  up  Deer  Creek  with 
his  iron-clads,  but  he  had  left  me  a  tug,  which  enabled  me  to 
reconnoitre  the  country,  which  was  all  under  water  except  the  nar 
row  strip  along  Deer  Creek.  During  the  19th  I  heard  the  heavy 
navy-guns  booming  more  frequently  than  seemed  consistent  with 
mere  guerrilla  operations ;  and  that  night  I  got  a  message  from 
Porter,  written  on  tissue-paper,  brought  me  through  the  swamp 
by  a  negro,  who  had  it  concealed  in  a  piece  of  tobacco. 

The  admiral  stated  that  he  had  met  a  force  of  infantry  and 
artillery  which  gave  him  great  trouble  by  killing  the  men  who 
had  to  expose  themselves  outside  the  iron  armor  to  shove  off  the 
bows  of  the  boats,  which  had  so  little  headway  that  they  would 
not  steer.  He  begged  me  to  come  to  his  rescue  as  quickly  as  pos 
sible.  Giles  A.  Smith  had  only  about  eight  hundred  men  with 
him,  but  I  ordered  him  to  start  up  Deer  Creek  at  once,  crossing 
to  the  east  side  by  an  old  bridge  at  Hill's  plantation,  which  we 
had  repaired  for  the  purpose ;  to  work  his  way  up  to  the  gunboat- 
fleet,  and  to  report  to  the  admiral  that  I  would  come  up  with 
every  man  I  could  raise  as  soon  as  possible.  I  was  almost  alone 
at  Hill's,  but  took  a  canoe,  paddled  down  Black  Bayou  to  the 
gunboat  Price,  and  there,  luckily,  found  the  Silver  Wave  with  a 
load  of  men  just  arrived  from  Gwin's  plantation.  Taking  some 
of  the  parties  who  were  at  work  along  the  bayou  into  an  empty 
coal-barge,  we  tugged  it  up  by  a  navy-tug,  followed  by  the  Silver 
Wave,  crashing  through  the  trees,  carrying  away  pilot-house, 
smoke-stacks,  and  every  thing  above-deck ;  but  the  captain 


1863.]  YIOKSBURG-.  309 

(McMillan,  of  Pittsburg)  was  a  brave  fellow,  and  realized  the 
necessity.  The  night  was  absolutely  black,  and  we  could  only 
make  two  and  a  half  of  the  four  miles.  We  then  disembarked, 
and  marched  through  the  canebrake,  carrying  lighted  candles  in 
our  hands,  till  we  got  into  the  open  cotton-fields  at  Hill's  plan 
tation,  where  we  lay  down  for  a  few  hours'  rest.  These  men 
were  a  part  of  Giles  A.  Smith's  brigade,  and  part  belonged  to 
the  brigade  of  T.  Kilby  Smith,  the  senior  officer  present  being 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Rice,  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  an  excellent  young 
officer.  We  had  no  horses. 

On  Sunday  morning,  March  21st,  as  soon  as  daylight  ap 
peared,  we  started,  following  the  same  route  which  Giles  A. 
Smith  had  taken  the  day  before ;  the  battalion  of  the  Thirteenth 
United  States  Regulars,  Major  Chase,  in  the  lead.  "We  could 
hear  Porter's  guns,  and  knew  that  moments  were  precious.  Be 
ing  on  foot  myself,  no  man  could  complain,  and  we  generally 
went  at  the  double-quick,  with  occasional  rests.  The  road  lay 
along  Deer  Creek,  passing  several  plantations ;  and  occasionally, 
at  the  bends,  it  crossed  the  swamp,  where  the  water  came  above 
my  hips.  The  smaller  drummer-boys  had  to  carry  their  drums  on 
their  heads,  and  most  of  the  men  slung  their  cartridge-boxes 
around  their  necks.  The  soldiers  generally  were  glad  to  have 
their  general  and  field  officers  afoot,  but  we  gave  them  a  fair 
specimen  of  marching,  accomplishing  about  twenty-one  miles  by 
noon.  Of  course,  our  speed  was  accelerated  by  the  sounds  of 
the  navy-guns,  which  became  more  and  more  distinct,  though 
we  could  see  nothing.  At  a  plantation  near  some  Indian  mounds 
we  met  a  detachment  of  the  Eighth  Missouri,  that  had  been  up 
to  the  fleet,  and  had  been  sent  down  as  a  picket  to  prevent  any 
obstructions  below.  This  picket  reported  that  Admiral  Porter 
had  found  Deer  Creek  badly  obstructed,  had  turned  back ;  that 
there  was  a  rebel  force  beyond  the  fleet,  with  some  six-pound 
ers,  and  nothing  between  us  and  the  fleet.  So  I  sat  down  on 
the  door-sill  of  a  cabin  to  rest,  but  had  not  been  seated  ten 
minutes  when,  in  the  wood  just  ahead,  not  three  hundred  yards 
off,  I  heard  quick  and  rapid  firing  of  musketry.  Jumping  up, 
I  ran  up  the  road,  and  found  Lieutenant-Colonel  Rice,  who  said 


310  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

the  head  of  his  column  had  struck  a  small  force  of  rebels  with  a 
working  gang  of  negroes,  provided  with  axes,  who  on  the  first 
fire  had  broken  and  run  back  into  the  swamp.  I  ordered  Bice 
to  deploy  his  brigade,  his  left  on  the  road,  and  extending  as  far 
into  the  swamp  as  the  ground  would  permit,  and  then  to  sweep 
forward  until  he  uncovered  the  gunboats.  The  movement  was 
rapid  and  well  executed,  and  we  soon  came  to  some  large  cot 
ton-fields  and  could  see  our  gunboats  in  Deer  Creek,  occasionally 
firing  a  heavy  eight-inch  gun  across  the  cotton-field  into  the 
swamp  behind.  About  that  time  a  Major  Kirby,  of  the  Eighth 
Missouri,  galloped  down  the  road  on  a  horse  he  had  picked  up 
the  night  before,  and  met  me.  He  explained  the  situation  of 
affairs,  and  offered  me  his  horse.  I  got  on  "bareback,  and  rode 
up  the  levee,  the  sailors  coming  out  of  their  iron-clads  and  cheer 
ing  most  vociferously  as  I  rode  by,  and  as  our  men  swept  for 
ward  across  the  cotton-field  in  full  view.  I  soon  found  Admiral 
Porter,  who  was  on  the  deck  of  one  of  his  iron-clads,  with  a 
shield  made  of  the  section  of  a  smoke-stack,  and  I  doubt  if  he 
was  ever  more  glad  to  meet  a  friend  than  he  was  to  see  me. 
He  explained  that  he  had  almost  reached  the  Rolling  Fork, 
when  the  woods  became  full  of  sharp-shooters,  who,  taking  ad 
vantage  of  trees,  stumps,  and  the  levee,  would  shoot  down  every 
man  that  poked  his  nose  outside  the  protection  of  their  armor ; 
so  that  he  could  not  handle  his  clumsy  boats  in  the  narrow  chan 
nel.  The  rebels  had  evidently  dispatched  a  force  from  Haines's 
Bluff  up  the  Sunflower  to  the  Rolling  Fork,  had  anticipated 
the  movement  of  Admiral  Porter's  fleet,  and  had  completely 
obstructed  the  channel  of  the  upper  part  of  Deer  Creek  by  fell 
ing  trees  into  it,  so  that  further  progress  in  that  direction  was 
simply  impossible.  It  also  happened  that,  at  the  instant  of  my 
arrival,  a  party  of  about  four  hundred  .rebels,  armed  and  supplied 
with  axes,  had  passed  around  the  fleet  and  had  got  below  it,  in 
tending  in  like  manner  to  block  up  the  channel  by  the  felling  of 
trees,  so  as  to  cut  off  retreat.  This  was  the  force  we  had  struck 
so  opportunely  at  the  time  before  described.  I  inquired  of  Ad 
miral  Porter  what  he  proposed  to  do,  and  he  said  he  wanted  to 
get  out  of  that  scrape  as  quickly  as  possible.  He  was  actually 


1863.]  VICZSBURG.  311 

working  back  when  I  met  him,  and,  as  we  then  had  a  sufficient 
force  to  cover  his  movement  completely,  he  continued  to  back 
down  Deer  Creek.  He  informed  me  at  one  time  things  looked 
so  critical  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  blow  up  the  gun 
boats,  and  to  escape  with  his  men  through  the  swamp  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  There  being  no  longer  any  sharp-shooters  to 
bother  the  sailors,  they  made  good  progress  ;  still,  it  took  three 
full  days  for  the  fleet  to  back  out  of  Deer  Creek  into  Black  Ba 
you,  at  Hill's  plantation,  whence  Admiral  Porter  proceeded 
to  his  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo,  leaving  Captain  Owen 
in  command  of  the  fleet.  I  reported  the  facts  to  General 
Grant,  who  was  sadly  disappointed  at  the  failure  of  the  fleet  to 
get  through  to  the  Yazoo  above  Haines's  Bluff,  and  ordered  us 
all  to  resume  our  camps  at  Young's  Point.  "We  accordingly 
steamed  down,  and  regained  our  camps  on  the  27th.  As  this 
expedition  up  Deer  Creek  was  but  one  of  many  efforts  to  se 
cure  a  footing  from  which  to  operate  against  Yicksburg,  I  add 
the  report  of  Brigadier-General  Giles  A.  Smith,  who  was  the 
first  to  reach  the  fleet : 

HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  BRIGADE,  SECOND  DIVISION, 
FIFTEENTH  ABUT  COEPS,  YOUNG'S  POINT,  LOUISIANA,  March  28, 1863.  J 

Captain  L.  M.  DAYTOST,  Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

CAPTAIN  :  I  have  the  honor  to  report  the  movements  of  the  First  Brigade 
in  the  expedition  up  Steele's  Bayou,  Black  Bayou,  and  Deer  Creek. 

The  Sixth  Missouri  and  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  regiments  em 
barked  at  the  mouth  of  Muddy  Bayou  on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the  18th 
of  March,  and  proceeded  up  Steele's  Bayou  to  the  mouth  of  Black  ;  thence 
up  Black  Bayou  to  Hill's  plantation,  at  its  junction  with  Deer  Creek,  where 
we  arrived  on  Friday  at  four  o'clock  p.  M.,  and  joined  the  Eighth  Missouri, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Coleman  commanding,  which  had  arrived  at  that  point 
two  days  before.  General  Sherman  had  also  established  his  headquarters 
there,  having  preceded  the  Eighth  Missouri  in  a  tug,  with  no  other  escort 
than  two  or  three  of  his  staff,  reconnoitring  all  the  different  bayous  and 
branches,  thereby  greatly  facilitating  the  movements  of  the  troops,  but  at 
the  same  time  exposing  himself  beyond  precedent  in  a  commanding  general. 
At  three  o'clock  of  Saturday  morning,  the  20th  instant,  General  Sherman 
having  received  a  communication  from  Admiral  Porter  at  the  mouth  of 
Rolling  Fork,  asking  for  a  speedy  cooperation  of  the  land  forces  with  his 
fleet,  I  was  ordered  by  General  Sherman- to  be  ready,  with  all  the  available 


312  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

force  at  that  point,  to  accompany  him  to  his  relief;  but  before  starting  it 
was  arranged  that  I  should  proceed  with  the  force  at  hand  (eight  hundred 
men),  while  he  remained,  again  entirely  unprotected,  to  hurry  up  the  troops 
expected  to  arrive  that  night,  consisting  of  the  Thirteenth  Infantry  and  One 
Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteers,  completing  my  brigade,  and  the 
Second  Brigade,  Colonel  T.  Kilby  Smith  commanding. 

This,  as  the  sequel  showed,  proved  a  very  wise  measure,  and  resulted  in 
the  safety  of  the  whole  fleet.  At  daybreak  we  were  in  motion,  with  a 
regular  guide.  We  had  proceeded  but  about  six  miles,  when  we  found  the 
enemy  had  been  very  busy  felling  trees  to  obstruct  the  creek. 

All  the  negroes  along  the  route  had  been  notified  to  be  ready  at  night 
fall  to  continue  the  work.  To  prevent  this  as  much  as  possible,  I  ordered 
all  able-bodied  negroes  to  be  taken  along,  and  warned  some  of  the  principal 
inhabitants  that  they  would  be  held  responsible  for  any  more  obstructions 
being  placed  across  the  creek.  "We  reached  the  admiral  about  four  o'clock 
p.  M.,  with  no  opposition  save  my  advance-guard  (Company  A,  Sixth  Mis 
souri)  being  fired  into  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek,  killing  one  man, 
and  slightly  wounding  another ;  having  no  way  of  crossing,  we  had  to  con 
tent  ourselves  with  driving  them  beyond  musket-range.  Proceeding  with 
as  little  loss  of  time  as  possible,  I  found  the  fleet  obstructed  in  front  by 
fallen  trees,  in  rear  by  a  sunken  coal-barge,  and  surrounded  by  a  large 
force  of  rebels  with  an  abundant  supply  of  artillery,  but  wisely  keeping 
their  main  force  out  of  range  of  the  admiral's  guns.  Every  tree  and  stump 
covered  a  sharp-shooter,  ready  to  pick  off  any  luckless  marine  who  showed 
his  head  above-decks,  and  entirely  preventing  the  working-parties  from  re 
moving  obstructions. 

In  pursuance  of  orders  from  General  Sherman,  I  reported  to  Admiral 
Porter  for  orders,  who  turned  over  to  me  all  the  land-forces  in  his  fleet 
(about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men),  together  with  two  howitzers,  and  I  was 
instructed  by  him  to  retain  a  sufficient  force  to  clear  out  the  sharp-shooters, 
and  to  distribute  the  remainder  along  the  creek  for  six  or  seven  miles  below, 
to  prevent  any  more  obstructions  being  placed  in  it  during  the  night.  This 
was  speedily  arranged,  our  skirmishers  capturing  three  prisoners.  Immedi 
ate  steps  were  now  taken  to  remove  the  coal-barge,  which  was  accomplished 
about  daylight  on  Sunday  morning,  when  the  fleet  moved  back  toward 
Black  Bayou.  By  three  o'clock  p.  M.  we  had  only  made  about  six  miles, 
owing  to  the  large  number  of  trees  to  be  removed ;  at  this  point,  where  our 
progress  was  very  slow,  we  discovered  a  long  line  of  the  enemy  filing 
along  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  taking  position  on  the  creek  below  us, 
and  about  one  mile  ahead  of  our  advance.  Shortly  after,  they  opened  fire 
on  the  gunboats  from  batteries  behind  the  cavalry  and  infantry.  The  boats 
not  only  replied  to  the  batteries,  which  they  soon  silenced,  but  poured  a 
destructive  fire  into  their  lines.  Heavy  skirmishing  was  also  heard  in  our 


1863.]  VICKSBUKG.  313 

front,  supposed  to  be  by  three  companies  from  the  Sixth  and  Eighth  Mis 
souri,  whose  position,  taken  the  previous  night  to  guard  the  creek,  was  be 
yond  the  point  reached  by  the  enemy,  and  consequently  liable  te  be  cut  off 
or  captured.  Captain  Owen,  of  the  Louisville,  the  leading  boat,  made  every 
effort  to  go  through  the  obstructions  and  aid  in  the  rescuing  of  the  men.  I 
ordered  Major  Kirby,  with  four  companies  of  the  Sixth  Missouri,  forward, 
with  two  companies  deployed.  He  soon  met  General  Sherman,  with  the 
Thirteenth  Infantry  and  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois,  driving  the 
enemy  before  them,  and  opening  communication  along  the  creek  with  the 
gunboats.  Instead  of  our  three  companies  referred  to  as  engaging  the  enemy, 
General  Sherman  had  arrived  at  a  very  opportune  moment  with  the  two 
regiments  mentioned  above,  and  the  Second  Brigade.  The  enemy,  not  ex 
pecting  an  attack  from  that  quarter,  after  some  hot  skirmishing,  retreated. 
General  Sherman  immediately  ordered  the  Thirteenth  Infantry  and  One 
Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  to  pursue;  but,  after  following  their  trace 
for  about  two  miles,  they  were  recalled. 

"We  continued  our  march  for  about  two  miles,  when  we  bivouacked  for 
the  night:  Early  on  Monday  morning  (March  22d)  we  continued  our  march, 
but  owing  to  the  slow  progress  of  the  gunboats  did  not  reach  Hill's  plan 
tation  until  Tuesday,  the  23d  instant,  where  we  remained  until  the  25th ; 
we  then  reembarked,  and  arrived  at  Young's  Point  on  Friday,  the  27th 
instant. 

Below  you  will  find  a  list  of  casualties.     Very  respectfully, 

GILES  A.  SMITH, 
Colonel  Eighth  Missouri,  commanding  First  Brigade. 

P.  S. — I  forgot  to  state  above  that  the  Thirteenth  Infantry  and  One 
Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  being  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Sherman,  he  can  mention  them  as  their  conduct  deserves. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  a  division  of  troops,  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  J.  M.  Tuttle,  was  assigned  to  my  corps,  and 
was  designated  the  Third  Division ;  and,  on  the  4th  of  April, 
Brigadier-General  D.  Stuart  was  relieved  from  the  command  of 
the  Second  Division,  to  which  Major-General  Frank  P.  Blair 
was  appointed  by  an  order  from  General  Grant's  headquarters. 
Stiiart  had  been  with  me  from  the  time  we  were  at  Benton  Bar 
racks,  in  command  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  then  of  a  brigade, 
and  finally  of  a  division ;  but  he  had  failed  in  securing  a  con 
firmation  by  the  Senate  to  his  nomination  as  brigadier-general, 
by  reason  of  some  old  affair  at  Chicago,  and,  having  resigned  his 
commission  as  colonel,  he  was  out  of  service.  I  esteemed  him 


314:  YICKSBUKG.  [1863. 

very  highly,  and  was  actually  mortified  that  the  service  should 
thus  be  deprived  of  so  excellent  and  gallant  an  officer.  He  after 
ward  settled  in  New  Orleans  as  a  lawyer,  and  died  about  1867 
or  1868. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  my  command,  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  was 
composed  of  three  divisions  : 

The  First  Division,  commanded  by  Major-General  Fred 
Steele ;  and  his  three  brigades  by  Colonel  Manter,  Colonel 
Charles  E.  Wood,  and  Brigadier-General  John  M.  Thayer. 

The  Second  Division,  commanded  by  Major-General  Frank 
P.  Blair ;  and  his  three  brigades  by  Colonel  Giles  A.  Smith, 
Colonel  Thomas  Kilby  Smith,  and  Brigadier-General  Hugh 
Ewing. 

The  Third  Division,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  J. 
M.  Tuttle ;  and  his  three  brigades  by  Brigadier-General  E.  P. 
Buckland,  Colonel  J.  A.  Mower,  and  Brigadier-General  John  E. 
Smith. 

My  own  staff  then  embraced:  Dayton,  McCoy,  and  Hill, 
aides ;  J.  H.  Hammond,  assistant  adjutant-general ;  Sanger,  in 
spector-general  ;  McFeeley,  commissary ;  J.  Condit  Smith,  quar 
termaster;  Charles  McMillan,  medical  director;  Ezra  Taylor, 

chief  of  artillery ;   Neely,  ordnance-officer ;  Jenney  and 

Pitzman,  engineers. 

By  this  time  it  had  become  thoroughly  demonstrated  that 
we  could  not  divert  the  main  river  Mississippi,  or  get  prac 
ticable  access  to  the  east  bank  of  the  Yazoo,  in  the  rear  of  Yicks- 
burg,  by  any  of  the  passes ;  and  we  were  all  in  the  habit  of  dis 
cussing  the  various  chances  of  the  future.  General  Grant's 
headquarters  were  at  Milliken's  Bend,  in  tents,  and  his  army  was ' 
strung  along  the  river  all  the  way  from  Young's  Point  up  to 
Lake  Providence,  at  least  sixty  miles.  I  had  always  contended 
that  the  best  way  to  take  Yicksburg  was  to  resume  the  move 
ment  which  had  been  so  well  begun  the  previous  November, 
viz.,  for  the  main  army  to  march  by  land  down  the  country  in 
land  of  the  Mississippi  Eiver ;  while  the  gunboat-fleet  and  a 
minor  land-force  should  threaten  Yicksburg  on  its  river-front. 

I  reasoned  that,  with  the.  large  force  then  subject  to  Gen- 


1863.]  VICKSBURG.  315 

eral  Grant's  orders — viz.,  four  army  corps — he  could  easily  re 
sume  the  movement  from  Memphis,  by  way  of  Oxford  and 
Grenada,  to  Jackson,  Mississippi,  or  down  the  ridge  between 
the  Yazoo  and  Big  Black ;  but  General  Grant  would  not,  for 
reasons  other  than  military,  take  any  course  which  looked  like 
a  step  backward ;  and  he  himself  concluded  on  the  river  move 
ment  below  Yicksburg,  so  as  to  appear  like  connecting  with 
General  Banks,  who  at  the  same  time  was  besieging  Port  Hud 
son  from  the  direction  of  New  Orleans. 

Preliminary  orders  had  already  been  given,  looking  to  the 
digging  of  a  canal,  to  connect  the  river  at  Duckport  with  Willow 
Bayou,  back  of  Milliken's  Bend,  so  as  to  form  a  channel  for  the 
conveyance  of  supplies,  by  way  of  Richmond,  to  New  Carthage ; 
and  several  steam  dredge-boats  had  come  from  the  upper  rivers 
to  assist  in  the  work.  One  day  early  in  April,  I  was  up  at 
General  Grant's  headquarters,  and  we  talked  over  all  these 
things  with  absolute  freedom.  Charles  A.  Dana,  Assistant  Sec 
retary  of  War,  was  there,  and  Wilson,  Rawlins,  Frank  Blair, 
McPherson,  etc.  We  all  knew,  what  was  notorious,  that  Gen 
eral  McClernand  was  still  intriguing  against  General  Grant,  in 
hopes  to  regain  the  command  of  the  whole  expedition,  and  that 
others  were  raising  a  clamor  against  General  Grant  in  the  news 
papers  at  the  North.  Even  Mr.  Lincoln  and  General  Halleck 
seemed  to  be  shaken ;  but  at  no  instant  of  time  did  we  (his  per 
sonal  friends)  slacken  in  our  loyalty  to  him.  One  night,  after 
such  a  discussion,  and  believing  that  General  McClernand  had 
no  real  plan  of  action  shaped  in  his  mind,  I  wrote  my  letter 
of  April  8,  1863,  to  Colonel  Rawlins,  which  letter  is  embraced 
in  full  at  page  616  of  Badeau's  book,  and  which  I  now  repro 
duce  here : 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTEENTH  ARJIY  CORPS,      ) 
CAMP  NEAB  VICKSBUKG,  April  8, 1863.  ) 

Colonel  J.  A.  RAWLIXS,  Assistant  Adjutant- General  to  General  GKAXT. 

SIE  :  I  would  most  respectfully  suggest  (for  reasons  which  I  will  not 
name)  that  General  Grant  call  on  his  corps  commanders  for  their  opinions, 
concise  and  positive,  on  the  best  general  plan  of  a  campaign.  Unless  this 
be  done,  there  are  men  who  will,  in  any  result  falling  below  the  popular 


316  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

standard,  claim  that  their  advice  was  unheeded,  and  that  fatal  consequence 
resulted  therefrom.    My  own  opinions  are — 

First.  That  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  is  now  far  in  advance  of  the 
other  grand  armies  of  the  United  States. 

Second.  That  a  corps  from  Missouri  should  forthwith  be  moved  from  St. 
Louis  to  the  vicinity  of  Little  Eock,  Arkansas ;  supplies  collected  there  while 
the  river  is  full,  and  land  communication  with  Memphis  opened  via  Des  Arc 
on  the  White,  and  Madison  on  the  St.  Francis  Eiver. 

Third.  That  as  much  of  the  Yazoo  Pass,  Coldwater,  and  Tallahatchie 
Elvers,  as  can  be  gained  and  fortified,  be  held,  and  the  main  army  be  trans 
ported  thither  by  land  and  water ;  that  the  road  back  to  Memphis  be  se 
cured  and  reopened,  and,  as  soon  as  the  waters  subside,  Grenada  be  at 
tacked,  and  the  swamp-road  across  to  Helena  be  patrolled  by  cavalry. 

Fourth.  That  the  line  of  the  Yalabusha  be  the  base  from  which  to  op 
erate  against  the  points  where  the  Mississippi  Central  crosses  Big  Black, 
above  Canton ;  and,  lastly,  where  the  Vicksburg  &  Jackson  Eailroad  crosses 
the  same  river  (Big  Black).  The  capture  of  Vicksburg  would  result. 

Fifth.  That  a  minor  force  be  left  in  this  vicinity,  not  to  exceed  ten  thou 
sand  men,  with  only  enough  steamboats  to  float  and  transport  them  to  any 
desired  point ;  this  force  to  be  held  always  near  enough  to  act  with  the 
gunboats  when  the  main  army  is  known  to  be  near  Vicksburg — Haines's 
Bluff  or  Yazoo  City. 

Sixth.  I  do  doubt  the  capacity  of  Willow  Bayou  (which  I  estimate  to  be 
fifty  miles  long  and  very  tortuous)  as  a  mih'tary  channel,  to  supply  an  army 
large  enough  to  operate  against  Jackson,  Mississippi,  or  the  Black  Eiver 
Bridge;  and  such  a  channel  will  be  very  vulnerable  to  a  force  coming 
from  the  west,  which  we  must  expect.  Yet  this  canal  will  be  most  useful 
as  the  way  to  convey  coals  and  supplies  to  a  fleet  that  should  navigate  the 
lower  reach  of  the  Mississippi  between  Vicksburg  and  the  Eed  Eiver. 

Seventh.  The  chief  reason  for  operating  solely  by  water  was  the  season 
of  the  year  and  high  water  in  the  Tallahatchie  and  Yalabusha  Elvers.  The 
spring  is  now  here,  and  soon  these  streams  will  be  no  serious  obstacle,  save 
in  the  ambuscades  of  the  forest,  and  whatever  works  the  enemy  may  have 
erected  at  or  near  Grenada.  North  Mississippi  is  too  valuable  for  us  to 
allow  the  enemy  to  hold  it  and  make  crops  this  year. 

I  make  these  suggestions,  with  the  request  that  General  Grant  will 
read  them  and  give  them,  as  I  know  he  will,  a  share  of  his  thoughts.  I 
would  prefer  that  he  should  not  answer  this  letter,  but  merely  give  it  as 
much  or  as  little  weight  as  it  deserves.  Whatever  plan  of  action  he  may 
adopt  will  receive  from  me  the  same  zealous  cooperation  and  energetic 
support  as  though  conceived  by  myself.  I  do  not  believe  General  Banks 
will  make  any  serious  attack  on  Port  Hudson  this  spring.  I  am,  etc., 

W.  T.  SHEEMA^,  Major- General. 


1863.]  YICKSBUKG. 

This  is  the  letter  which  some  critics  have  styled  a  "  protest." 
We  never  had  a  council  of  war  at  any  time  during  the  Yicks- 
burg  campaign.  "We  often  met  casually,  regardless  of  rank  or 
power,  and  talked  and  gossiped  of  things  in  general,  as  officers 
do  and  should.  But  my  letter  speaks  for  itself.  It  shows  my 
opinions  clearly  at  that  stage  of  the  game,  and  was  meant  par 
tially  to  induce  General  Grant  to  call  on  General  McClernand 
for  a  similar  expression  of  opinion,  but,  so  far  as  I  know,  he 
did  not.  He  went  on  quietly  to  work  out  his  own  designs; 
and  he  has  told  me,  since  the  war,  that  had  we  possessed  in 
December,  1862,  the  experience  of  marching  and  maintaining 
armies  without  a  regular  base,  which  we  afterward  acquired,  he 
would  have  gone  on  from  Oxford  as  first  contemplated,  and 
would  not  have  turned  back  because  of  the  destruction  of  his 
depot  at  Holly  Springs  by  Yan  Dorn.  The  distance  from 
Oxford  to  the  rear  of  Yicksburg  is  little  greater  than  by  the 
circuitous  route  we  afterward  followed,  from  Bruinsburg  to 
Jackson  and  Yicksburg,  during  which  we  had  neither  depot  nor 
train  of  supplies.  I  have  never  criticised  General  Grant's  strat 
egy  on  this  or  any  other  occasion,  but  I  thought  then  that  he  had 
lost  an  opportunity,  which  cost  him  and  us  six  months'  extra- 
hard  work,  for  we  might  have  captured  Yicksburg  from  the 
direction  of  Oxford  in  January,  quite  as  easily  as  was  afterward 
done  in  July,  1863. 

General  Grant's  orders  for  the  general  movement  past  Yicks 
burg,  by  Richmond  and  Carthage,  were  dated  April  20,  1863. 
McClernand  was  to  lead  off  with  his  corps,  McPherson  next, 
and  my  corps  (the  Fifteenth)  to  bring  up  the  rear.  Prelimi 
nary  thereto,  on  the  night  of  April  16th,  seven  iron-clads  led  by 
Admiral  Porter  in  person,  in  the  Benton,  with  three  transports, 
and  ten  barges  in  tow,  ran  the  Yicksburg  batteries  by  night. 
Anticipating  a  scene,  I  had  four  yawl-boats  hauled  across  the 
swamp,  to  the  reach  of  the  river  below  Yicksburg,  and  manned 
them  with  soldiers,  ready  to  pick  up  any  of  the  disabled  wrecks  as 
they  floated  by.  I  was  out  in  the  stream  when  the  fleet  passed 
Yicksburg,  and  the  scene  was  truly  sublime.  As  soon  as  the 
rebel  gunners  detected  the  Benton,  which  was  in  the  lead,  they 


318  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

opened  on  her,  and  on  the  others  in  succession,  with  shot  and 
shell ;  houses  on  the  Yicksburg  side  and  on  the  .opposite  shore 
were  set  on  fire,  which  lighted  up  the  whole  river ;  and  the  roar 
of  cannon,  the  bursting  of  shells,  and  finally  the  burning  of  the 
Henry  Clay,  drifting  with  the  current,  made  up  a  picture  of  the 
terrible  not  often  seen.  Each  gunboat  returned  the  fire  as  she 
passed  the  town,  while  the  transports  hugged  the  opposite  shore. 
When  the  Benton  had  got  abreast  of  us,  I  pulled  off  to  her, 
boarded,  had  a  few  words  with  Admiral  Porter,  and  as  she  was 
drifting  rapidly  toward  the  lower  batteries  at  Warrenton,  I  left, 
and  pulled  back  toward  the  shore,  meeting  the  gunboat  Tus- 
cumbia  towing  the  transport  Forest  Queen  into  the  bank  out  of 
the  range  of  fire.  The  Forest  Queen,  Captain  Conway,  had 
been  my  flag-boat  up  the  Arkansas,  and  for  some  time  after, 
and  I  was  very  friendly  with  her  officers.  This  was  the  only 
transport  whose  captain  would  not  receive  volunteers  as  a  crew, 
but  her  own  officers  and  crew  stuck  to  their  boat,  and  carried 
her  safely  below  the  Yicksburg  batteries,  and  afterward  ren 
dered  splendid  service  in  ferrying  troops  across  the  river  at 
Grand  Gulf  and  Bruinsburg.  In  passing  Yicksburg,  she  was 
damaged  in  the  hull  and  had  a  steam-pipe  cut  away,  but 
this  was  soon  repaired.  The  Henry  Clay  was  set  on  fire  by 
bursting  shells,  and  burned  up ;  one  of  my  yawls  picked  up  her 
pilot  floating  on  a  piece  of  wreck,  and  the  bulk  of  her  crew 
escaped  in  their  own  yawl-boat  to  the  shore  above.  The  Sil 
ver  Wave,  Captain  McMillan,  the  same  that  was  with  us  up 
Steele's  Bayou,  passed  safely,  and  she  also  rendered  good  ser 
vice  afterward. 

Subsequently,  on  the  night  of  April  26th,  six  other  trans 
ports  with  numerous  barges  loaded  with  hay,  corn,  freight,  and 
provisions,  were  drifted  past  Yicksburg ;  of  these  the  Tigress 
was  hit,  and  sunk  just  as  she  reached  the  river-bank  below,  on 
our  side.  I  was  there  with  my  yawls,  and  saw  Colonel 
Lagow,  of  General  Grant's  staff,  who  had  passed  the  bat 
teries  in  the  Tigress,  and  I  think  he  was  satisfied  never  to  at 
tempt  such  a  thing  again.  Thus  General  Grant's  army  had 
below  Yicksburg  an  abundance  of  stores,  and  boats  with 


1863.]  VICKSBUKG.  319 

which  to  cross  the  river.  The  road  by  which  the  troops 
marched  was. very  bad,  and  it  was  not  until  the  1st  of  May 
that  it  was  clear  for  my  corps.  While  waiting  my  turn  to 
march,  I  received  a  letter  from  General  Grant,  written  at 
Carthage,  saying  that  he  proposed  to  cross  over  and  attack 
Grand  Gulf,  about  the  end  of  April,  and  he  thought  I  could 
put  in  my  time  usefully  by  making  a  "  feint "  on  Haines's 
Bluff,  but  he  did  not  like  to  order  me  to  do  it,  because  it  might 
be  reported  at  the  North  that  I  had  again  been  "  repulsed,  etc." 
Thus  we  had  to  fight  a  senseless  clamor  at  the  North,  as  well  as 
a  determined  foe  and  the  obstacles  of  Nature.  Of  course,  I 
answered  him  that  I  would  make  the  "feint,"  regardless  of 
public  clamor  at  a  distance,  and  I  did  make  it  most  effectually ; 
using  all  the  old  boats  I  could  get  about  Milliken's  Bend  and 
the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo,  but  taking  only  ten  small  regiments, 
selected  out  of  Blair's  division,  to  make  a  show  of  force.  We 
afterward  learned  that  General  Pemberton  in  Yicksburg  had 
previously  dispatched  a  large  force  to  the  assistance  of  General 
Bowen,  at  Grand  Gulf  and  Port  Gibson,  which  force  had  pro 
ceeded  as  far  as  Hankinson's  Ferry,  when  he  discovered  our 
ostentatious  movement  up  the  Yazoo,  and  recalled  his  men,  and 
sent  them  up  to  Haines's  Bluff  to  meet  us.  This  detachment  of 
rebel  troops  must  have  marched  nearly  sixty  miles  without  rest, 
for  afterward,  on  reaching  Yicksburg,  I  heard  that  the  men  were 
perfectly  exhausted,  and  lay  along  the  road  in  groups,  com 
pletely  fagged  out.  This  diversion,  made  with  so  much  pomp 
and  display,  therefore  completely  fulfilled  its  purpose,  by  leav 
ing  General  Grant  to  contend  with  a  minor  force,  on  landing 
at  Bruinsburg,  and  afterward  at  Port  Gibson  and  Grand  Gulf. 

In  May  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  had  so  far  subsided  that 
all  our  canals  were  useless,  and  the  roads  had  become  practicable. 
After  McPherson's  corps  had  passed  Richmond,  I  took  up  the 
route  of  march,  with  Steele's  and  Tuttle's  divisions.  Blair's 
division  remained  at  Milliken's  Bend  to  protect  our  depots  there, 
till  relieved  by  troops  from  Memphis,  and  then  he  was  ordered 
to  follow  us.  Our  route  lay  by  Richmond  and  Roundabout 
Bayou ;  then,  following  Bayou  Yidal  we  struck  the  Mississippi 


320  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

at  Perkins's  plantation.  Thence  the  route  followed  Lake  St. 
Joseph  to  a  plantation  called  Hard  Times,  about  five  miles  above 
Grand  Gulf.  The  road  was  more  or  less  occupied  by  wagons 
and  detachments  belonging  to  McPherson's  corps ;  still  we 
marched  rapidly  and  reached  Hard  Times  on  the  6th  of  May. 
Along  the  Bayou  or  Lake  St.  Joseph  ^were  many  very  fine  cot 
ton-plantations,  and  I  recall  that  of  a  Mr.  Bowie,  brother-in-law 
of  the  Hon.  Reverdy  Johnson,  of  Baltimore.  The  house  was 
very  handsome,  with  a  fine,  extensive  grass-plot  in  front.  We 
entered  the  yard,  and,  leaving  our  horses  with  the  headquarters 
escort,  walked  to  the  house.  On  the  front-porch  I  found  a 
magnificent  grand-piano,  with  several  satin-covered  arm-chairs, 
in  one  of  which  sat  a  Union  soldier  (one  of  McPherson's  men), 
with  his  feet  on  the  keys  of  the  piano,  and  his  musket  and 
knapsack  lying  on  the  porch.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  doing 
there,  and  he  answered  that  he  was  "  taking  a  rest ; "  this  was 
manifest  and  I  started  him  in  a  hurry  to  overtake  his  command. 
The  house  was  tenantless,  and  had  been  completely  ransacked ; 
articles  of  dress  and  books  were  strewed  about,  and  a  handsome 
boudoir  with  mirror  front  had  been  cast  down,  striking  a  French 
bedstead,  shivering  the  glass.  The  library  was  extensive, 
with  a  fine  collection  of  books ;  and  hanging  on  the  wall  were 
two  full-length  portraits  of  Reverdy  Johnson  and  his  wife,  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  ladies  of  our  country,  with  whom  I  had 
been  acquainted  in  Washington  at  the  time  of  General  Tay 
lor's  administration.  Behind  the  mansion  was  the  usual  double 
row  of  cabins  called  the  "quarters."  There  I  found  an  old 
negro  (a  family  servant)  with  several  women,  whom  I  sent 
to  the  house  to  put  things  in  order ;  telling  the  old  man  that 
other  troops  would  follow,  and  he  must  stand  on  the  porch  to 
tell  any  officers  who  came  along  that  the  property  belonged  to 
Mr.  Bowie,  who  was  the  brother-in-law  of  our  friend  Mr.  Rev- 
erdy  Johnson,  of  Baltimore,  asking  them  to  see  that  no  further 
harm  was  done.  Soon  after  we  left  the  house  I  saw  some 
negroes  carrying  away  furniture  which  manifestly  belonged  to 
the  house,  and  compelled  them  to  carry  it  back ;  and  after  reach 
ing  camp  that  night,  at  Hard  Times,  I  sent  a  wagon  back  to 


1863.]  VICKSBUKG.  321 

Bowie's  plantation,  to  bring  up  to  Dr.  Hollingsworth's  house 
the  two  portraits  for  safe  keeping ;  but  before  the  wagon  had 
reached  Bowie's  the  house  was  burned,  whether  by  some  of  our 
men  or  by  negroes  I  have  never  learned. 

At  the  river  there  was  a  good  deal  of  scrambling  to  get 
across,  because  the  means  of  ferriage  were  inadequate ;  but  by 
the  aid  of  the  Forest  Queen  and  several  gunboats  I  got  my  com 
mand  across  during  the  7th  of  May,  and  marched  out  to  Han- 
kinson's  Ferry  (eighteen  miles),   relieving  General  Crocker's 
division  of  McPherson's  corps.     McClernand's  corps  and  Mc- 
Pherson's  were  still  ahead,  and  had  fought  the  battle  of  Port 
Gibson,  on  the  llth.     I  overtook  General  Grant  in  person  at 
Auburn,  and  he  accompanied  my  corps  all  the  way  into  Jack 
son,  which  we   reached  May  14th.      McClernand's  corps  had 
been  left  in  observation  toward  Edwards's  Ferry.    McPherson 
had  fought  at  Raymond,  and  taken  the  left-hand  road  toward 
Jackson,  via  Clinton,  while  my  troops  were  ordered  by  General 
Grant  in  person  to  take  the  right-hand,  road  leading  through 
Mississippi   Springs.     We  reached  Jackson  at  the  same  time ; 
McPherson  fighting  on  the  Clinton  road,  and  my  troops  fighting 
just  outside  the  town,  on  the  Raymond  road,  where  we  captured 
three  entire  field-batteries,  and  about  two  hundred  prisoners  of 
war.     The  rebels,  under  General  Joe  Johnston,  had  retreated 
through  the  town  northward  on  the  Canton  road.    Generals  Grant, 
McPherson,  and  I,  met  in  the  large  hotel  facing  the  State-House, 
where  the  former  explained  to  us  that  he  had  intercepted  dis 
patches  from  Pemberton  to  Johnston,  which  made  it  important 
for  us  to  work  smart  to  prevent  a  junction  of  their  respective 
forces.    McPherson  was  ordered  to  march  back  early  the  next 
day  on  the  Clinton  road  to  make  junction  with  McClernand, 
and  I  was  ordered  to  remain  one  day  to  break  up  railroads,  to 
destroy  the  arsenal,  a  f oundery,  the  cotton-factory  of  the  Messrs. 
Green,  etc.,  etc.,  and  then  to  follow  McPherson. 

McPherson  left  Jackson  early  on  the  15th,  and  General  Grant 
during  the  same  day.     I  kept  my  troops  busy  in  tearing  up 
railroad-tracks,  etc.,  but  early  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  re 
ceived  notice  from  General  Grant  that  a  battle  was  imminent 
21 


322  VICKSBURG.  [1863. 

near  Edwards's  Depot ;  that  he  wanted  me  to  dispatch  one  of 
my  divisions  immediately,  and  to  follow  with  the  other  as  soon 
as  I  had  completed  the  work  of  destruction.  Steele's  division 
started  immediately,  and  later  in  the  day  I  followed  with  the 
other  division  (Tuttle's).  Just  as  I  was  leaving  Jackson,  a  very 
fat  man  came  to  see  me,  to  inquire1  if  his  hotel,  a  large,  frame- 
building  near  the  depot,  were  doomed  to  be  burned.  I  told  him 
we  had  no  intention  to  burn  it,  or  any  other  house,  except  the 
machine-shops,  and  such  buildings  as  could  easily  be  converted 
to  hostile  uses.  He  professed  to  be  a  law-abiding  Union  man, 
and  I  remember  to  have  said  that  this  fact  was  manifest  from 
the  sign  of  his  hotel,  which  was  the  "  Confederate  Hotel ; " 
the  sign  "  United  States  "  being  faintly  painted  out,  and  "  Con 
federate  "  painted  over  it !  I  remembered  that  hotel,  as  it  was 
the  supper-station  for  the  New  Orleans  trains  when  I  used  to 
travel  the  road  before  the  war.  I  had  not  the  least  purpose, 
however,  of  burning  it,  but,  just  as  we  were  leaving  the  town,  it 
burst  out  in  flames  and  was  burned  to  the  ground.  I  never 
found  out  exactly  who  set  it  on  fire,  but  was  told  that  in  one  of 
our  batteries  were  some  officers  and  men  who  had  been  made 
prisoners  at  Shiloh,  with  Prentiss's  division,  and  had  been  carried 
past  Jackson  in  a  railroad-train ;  they  had  been  permitted  by  the 
guard  to  go  to  this  very  hotel  for  supper,  and  had  nothing  to 
pay  but  greenbacks,  which  were  refused,  with  insult,  by  this 
same  law-abiding  landlord.  These  men,  it  was  said,  had  quietly 
and  stealthily  applied  the  fire  underneath  the  hotel  just  as  we 
were  leaving  the  town. 

About  dark  we  met  General  Grant's  staff-officer  near  Bolton 
Station,  who  turned  us  to  the  right,  with  orders  to  push  on  to 
Yicksburg  by  what  was  known  as  the  upper  Jackson  Road, 
which  crossed  the  Big  Black  at  Bridgeport.  During  that  day 
(May  16th)  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills  had  been  fought  and 
won  by  McClernand's  and  McPherson's  corps,  aided  by  one 
division  of  mine  (Blair's),  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Grant ;  and  McPherson  was  then  f ollowing  the  mass 
of  Pemberton's  army,  disordered  and  retreating  toward  Yicks 
burg  by  the  Edwards's  Ferry  road.  General  Blair's  division  had 


1863.]  VICKSBUEG.  323 

come  up  from  the  rear,  was  temporarily  attached  to  McCler- 
nand's  corps,  taking  part  with  it  in  the  battle  of  Champion 
Hills,  but  on  the  17th  it  was  ordered  by  General  Grant  across 
to  Bridgeport,  to  join  me  there. 

Just  beyond  Bolton  there  was  a  small  hewn-log  house, 
standing  back  in  a  yard,  in  which  was  a  well ;  at  this  some  of 
our  soldiers  were  drawing  water.  I  rode  in  to  get  a  drink,  and, 
seeing  a  book  on  the  ground,  asked  some  soldier  to  hand  it  to 
me.  It  was  a  volume  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  on  the  title-page  was  written  the  name  of  Jefferson  Davis. 
On  inquiry  of  a  negro,  I  learned  that  the  place  belonged  to  the 
then  President  of  the  Southern  Confederation.  His  brother 
Joe  Davis's  plantation  was  not  far  off ;  one  of  my  staff-officers 
went  there,  with  a  few  soldiers,  and  took  a  pair  of  carriage- 
horses,  without  my  knowledge  at  the  time.  He  found  Joe 
Davis  at  home,  an  old  man,  attended  by  a  young  and  affection 
ate  niece ;  but  they  were  overwhelmed  with  grief  to  see  their 
country  overrun  and  swarming  with  Federal  troops. 

We  pushed  on,  and  reached  the  Big  Black  early,  Blair's 
troops  having  preceded  us  by  an  hour  or  so.  I  found  General 
Blair  in  person,  and  he  reported  that  there  was  no  bridge  across 
the  Big  Black ;  that  it  was  swimming-deep  ;  and  that  there  was 
a  rebel  force  on  the  opposite  side,  intrenched.  He  had  ordered 
a  detachment  of  the  Thirteenth  United  States  Eegulars,  under 
Captain  Charles  Ewing,  to  strip  some  artillery-horses,  mount  the 
men,  and  swim  the  river  above  the  ferry,  to  attack  and  drive 
away  the  party  on  the  opposite  bank.  I  did  not  approve  of  this 
risky  attempt,  but  crept  down  close  to  the  brink  of  the  river- 
bank,  behind  a  corn-crib  belonging  to  a  plantation-house  near  by, 
and  saw  the  parapet  on  the  opposite  bank.  Ordering  a  section  of 
guns  to  be  brought  forward  by  hand  behind  this  corn-crib,  a  few 
well-directed  shells  brought  out  of  their  heles  the  little  party 
that  was  covering  the  crossing,  viz.,  a  lieutenant  and  ten  men, 
who  came  down  to  the  river-bank  and  surrendered.  Blair's  pon 
toon-train  was  brought  up,  consisting  of  India-rubber  boats,  one 
of  which  was  inflated,  used  as  a  boat,  and  brought  over  the 
prisoners.  A  pontoon-bridge  was  at  once  begun,  finished  by 


324  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

night,  and  the  troops  began  the  passage.  After  dark,  the 
whole  scene  was  lit  up  with  fires  of  pitch-pine.  General  Grant 
joined  me  there,  and  we  sat  on  a  log,  looking  at  the  passage  of 
the  troops  by  the  light  of  those  fires ;  the  bridge  swayed  to  and 
fro  under  the  passing  feet,  and  made  a  fine  war-picture.  At 
daybreak  we  moved  on,  ascending  the  ridge,  and  by  10  A.  M.  the 
head  of  my  column,  long  drawn  out,  reached  the  Benton  road, 
and  gave  us  command  of  the  peninsula  between  the  Yazoo  and 
Big  Black.  I  dispatched  Colonel  Swan,  of  the  Fourth  Iowa 
Cavalry,  to  Haines's  Bluff,  to  capture  that  battery  from  the  rear, 
and  he  afterward  reported  that  he  found  it  abandoned,  its  gar 
rison  having  hastily  retreated  into  Yicksburg,  leaving  their  guns 
partially  disabled,  a  magazine  full  of  ammunition,  and  a  hospital 
full  of  wounded  and  sick  men.  Colonel  Swan  saw  one  of  our 
gunboats  lying  about  two  miles  below  in  the  Tazoo,  to  which  he 
signaled.  She  steamed  up,  and  to  its  commander  the  cavalry 
turned  over  the  battery  at  Haines's  Bluff,  and  rejoined  me  in 
front  of  Yicksburg.  Allowing  a  couple  of  hours  for  rest  and  to 
close  up  the  column,  I  resumed  the  march  straight  on  Yicks 
burg.  About  two  miles  before  reaching  the  forts,  the  road 
forked ;  the  left  was  the  main  Jackson  road,  and  the  right  was 
the  "  graveyard "  road,  which  entered  Yicksburg  near  a  large 
cemetery.  General  Grant  in  person  directed  me  to  take 
the  right-hand  road,  but,  as  McPherson  had  not  yet  got  up 
from  the  direction  of  the  railroad-bridge  at  Big  Black,  I  sent 
the  Eighth  Missouri  on  the  main  Jackson  road,  to  push  the 
rebel  skirmishers  into  town,  and  to  remain  until  relieved  by 
McPherson's  advance,  which  happened  late  that  evening,  May 
18th.  The  battalion  of  the  Thirteenth  United  States  Eeg- 
ulars,  commanded  by  Captain  "Washington,  was  at  the  head  of 
the  column  on  the  right-hand  road,  and  pushed  the  rebels  close 
behind  their  parapets ;  one  of  my  staff,  Captain  Pitzman, 
receiving  a  dangerous  wound  in  the  hip,  which  apparently 
disabled  him  for  life.  By  night  Blair's  whole  division  had 
closed  up  against  the  defenses  of  Yicksburg,  which  were  found 
to  be  strong  and  well  manned  ;  and,  on  General  Steele's  head  of 
column  arriving,  I  turned  it  still  more  to  the  right,  with  orders  to 


1863.]  VICKSBUKG.  325 

work  its  way  down  the  bluff,  so  as  to  make  connection  with  our 
fleet  in  the  Mississippi  River.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  desul 
tory  fighting  that  evening,  and  a  man  was  killed  by  the  side  of 
General  Grant  and  myself,  as  we  sat  by  the  road-side  looking 
at  Steele's  division  passing  to  the  right.  General  Steele's  men 
reached  the  road  which  led  from  Yicksburg  up  to  Haines's  Bluff, 
which  road  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  intercepted  some 
prisoners  and  wagons  which  were  coming  down  from  Haines's 
Bluff. 

All  that  night  McPherson's  troops  were  arriving  by  the 
main  Jackson  road,  and  McClernand's  by  another  near  the  rail 
road,  deploying  forward  as  fast  as  they  struck  the  rebel  works. 
My  corps  (the  Fifteenth)  had  the  right  of  the  line  of  invest 
ment  ;  McPherson's  (the  Seventeenth)  the  centre ;  and  McCler 
nand's  (the  Thirteenth)  the  left,  reaching  from  the  river  above 
to  the  railroad  below.  Our  lines  connected,  and  invested  about 
three-quarters  of  the  land-front  of  the  fortifications  of  Yicksburg. 
On  the  supposition  that  the  garrison  of  Yicksburg  was  demoral 
ized  by  the  defeats  at  Champion  Hills  and  at  the  railroad  cross 
ing  of  the  Big  Black,  General  Grant  ordered  an  assault  at  our 
respective  fronts  on  the  19th.  My  troops  reached  the  top  of  the 
parapet,  but  could  not  cross  over.  The  rebel  parapets  were  strong 
ly  manned,  and  the  enemy  fought  hard  and  well.  My  loss  was 
pretty  heavy,  falling  chiefly  on  the  Thirteenth  Regulars,  whose 
commanding  officer,  Captain  Washington,  was  killed,  and  several 
other  regiments  were  pretty  badly  cut  up.  We,  however,  held 
the  ground  up  to  the  ditch  till  night,  and  then  drew  back  only 
a  short  distance,  and  began  to  counter-trench.  On  the  grave 
yard  road,  our  parapet  was  within  less  than  fifty  yards  of  the 
rebel  ditch. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  General  Grant  called  the  three  corps 
commanders  together,  viz.,  McClernand,  McPherson,  and  Sher 
man.  "We  compared  notes,  and  agreed  that  the  assault  of  the 
day  before  had  failed,  by  reason  of  the  natural  strength  of  the 
position,  and  because  we  were  forced  by  the  nature  of  the 
ground  to  limit  our  attacks  to  the  strongest  parts  of  the  ene 
my's  line,  viz.,  where  the  three  principal  roads  entered  the  city. 


326  YICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

It  was  not  a  council  of  war,  but  a  mere  consultation,  resulting 
in  orders  from  General  Grant  for  us  to  make  all  possible  prepa 
rations  for  a  renewed  assault  on  the  22d,  simultaneously,  at  10 
A.  M.  I  reconnoitred  my  front  thoroughly  in  person,  from 
right  to  left,  and  concluded  to  make  my  real  attack  at  the  right 
flank  of  the  bastion,  where  the  graveyard  road  entered  the 
enemy's  intrenchments,  and  at  another  point  in  the  curtain  about 
a  hundred  yards  to  its  right  (our  left) ;  also  to  make  a  strong 
demonstration  by  Steele's  division,  about  a  mile  to  our  right, 
toward  the  river.  All  our  "field-batteries  were  put  in  posi 
tion,  and  were  covered  by  good  epaulements ;  the  troops  were 
brought  forward,  in  easy  support,  concealed  by  the  shape  of 
the  ground ;  and  to  the  minute,  viz.,  10  A.  M.  of  May  22d,  the 
troops  sprang  to  the  assault.  A  small  party,  that  might  be 
called  a  forlorn  hope,  provided  with  plank  to  cross  the  ditch, 
advanced  at  a  run,  up  to  the  very  ditch ;  the  lines  of  in 
fantry  sprang  from  cover,  and  advanced  rapidly  in  line  of  battle. 
I  took  a  position  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  rebel  para 
pet,  on  the  off  slope  of  a  spur  of  ground,  where  by  advancing 
two  or  three  steps  I  could  see  every  thing.  The  rebel  line,  con 
cealed  by  the  parapet,  showed  no  sign  of  unusual  activity,  but  as 
our  troops  came  in  fair  view,  the  enemy  rose  behind  their  para 
pet  and  poured  a  furious  fire  upon  our  lines ;  and,  for  about 
two  hours,  we  had  a  severe  and  bloody  battle,  but  at  every 
point  we  were  repulsed.  In  the  very  midst  of  this,  when  shell 
and  shot  fell  furious  and  fast,  occurred  that  little  episode  which 
has  been  celebrated  in  song  and  story,  of  the  boy  Orion  P.  Howe, 
badly  wounded,  bearing  me  a  message  for  cartridges,  calibre  54, 
described  in  my  letter  to  the  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of 
"War.  This  boy  was  afterward  appointed  a  cadet  to  the  United 
States  Naval  Academy,  at  Annapolis,  but  he  <,iould  not  gradu 
ate,  and  I  do  not  now  know  what  has  become  of  him. 

After  our  men  had  been  fairly  beaten  back  from  off  the  para 
pet,  and  had  got  cover  behind  the  spurs  of  ground  close  up  to  the 
rebel  works,  General  Grant  came  to  where  I  was,  on  foot,  having 
left  his  horse  some  distance  to  the  rear.  I  pointed  out  to  him 
the  rebel  works,  admitted  that  my  assault  had  failed,  and  he  said 


1863.]  VICKSBURG.  327 

the  result  with  McPherson  and  McClernand  was  about  the  same. 
"While  he  was  with  me,  an  orderly  or  staff-officer  came  and 
handed  him  a  piece  of  paper,  which  he  read  and  handed  to  me. 
I  think  the  writing  was  in  pencil,  on  a  loose  piece  of  paper,  and 
was  in  General  McClernand's  handwriting,  to  the  effect  that 
"  his  troops  had  captured  the  rebel  parapet  in  his  front,"  that 
"  the  nag  of  the  Union  waved  over  the  stronghold  of  Yicks- 
burg,"  and  asking  him  (General  Grant)  to  give  renewed  orders 
to  McPherson  and  Sherman  to  press  their  attacks  on  their 
respective  fronts,  lest  the  enemy  should  concentrate  on  him 
(McClernaud).  General  Grant  said,  "  I  don't  believe  a  word  of 
it ; "  but  I  reasoned  with  him,  that  this  note  was  official,  and 
must  be  credited,  and  I  offered  to  renew  the  assault  at  once 
with  new  troops.  He  said  he  would  instantly  ride  down  the 
line  to  McClernand's  front,  and  if  I  did  not  receive  orders  to 
the  contrary,  by  3  o'clock  p.  M.,  I  might  try  it  again.  Mower's 
fresh  brigade  was  brought  up  under  cover,  and  some  changes 
were  made  in  Giles  Smith's  brigade ;  and,  punctually  at  3  p.  M., 
hearing  heavy  firing  down  along  the  line  to  my  left,  I  ordered 
the  second  assault.  It  was  a  repetition  of  the  first,  equally  un 
successful  and  bloody.  It  also  transpired  that  the  same  thing 
had  occurred  with  General  McPherson,  who  lost  in  this  second 
assault  some  most  valuable  officers  and  men,  without  ade 
quate  result ;  and  that  General  McClernand,  instead  of  having 
taken  any  single  point  of  the  rebel  main  parapet,  had  only  taken 
one  or  two  small  outlying  lunettes  open  to  the  rear,  where  his 
men  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  rebels  behind  their  main  parapet, 
and  most  of  them  were  actually  thus  captured.  This  affair 
caused  great  feeling  with  us,  and  severe  criticisms  on  General 
McClernand,  which  led  finally  to  his  removal  from  the  command 
of  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  to  which  General  Ord  succeeded. 
The  immediate  cause,  however,  of  General  McClernand's  re 
moval  was  the  publication  of  a  sort  of  congratulatory  order 
addressed  to  his  troops,  first  published  in  St.  Louis,  in  which 
he  claimed  that  he  had  actually  succeeded  in  making  a  lodg 
ment  in  Vicksburg,  but  had  lost  it,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
McPherson  and  Sherman  did  not  fulfill  their  parts  of  the  gen- 


328  VICKSBUEG.  [1803. 

eral  plan  of  attack.  This  was  simply  untrue.  The  two  several 
assaults  made  May  22d,  on  the  lines  of  Yicksburg,  had  failed, 
by  reason  of  the  great  strength  of  the  position  and  the  de 
termined  fighting  of  its  garrison.  I  have  since  seen  the  posi 
tion  at  Sevastopol,  and  without  hesitation  I  declare  that  at 
Yicksburg  to  have  been  the  more  difficult  of  the  two. 

Thereafter  our  proceedings  were  all  in  the  nature  of  a  siege. 
General  Grant  drew  more  troops  from  Memphis,  to  prolong  our 
general  line  to  the  left,  so  as  completely  to  invest  the  place  on 
its  land-side,  while  the  navy  held  the  river  both  above  and 
below.  General  Mower's  brigade  of  Tuttle's  division  was 
also  sent  across  the  river  to  the  peninsula,  so  that  by  May  31st 
Yicksburg  was  completely  beleaguered.  Good  roads  were  con 
structed  from  our  camps  to  the  several  landing-places  on  the 
Yazoo  River,  to  which  points  our  boats  brought  us  ample  sup 
plies  ;  so  that  we  were  in  a  splendid  condition  for  a  siege,  while 
our  enemy  was  shut  up  in  a  close  fort,  with  a  large  civil  popula 
tion  of  men,  women,  and  children  to  feed,  in  addition  to  his 
combatant  force.  If  we  could  prevent  sallies,  or  relief  from 
the  outside,  the  fate  of  the  garrison  of  Yicksburg  was  merely 
a  question  of  time. 

I  had  my  headquarters  camp  close  up  to  the  works,  near  the 
centre  of  my  corps,  and  General  Grant  had  his  bivouac  behind 
a  ravine  to  my  rear.  We  estimated  Pemberton's  whole  force  in 
Yicksburg  at  thirty  thousand  men,  and  it  was  well  known  that 
the  rebel  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was  engaged  in  collecting 
another  strong  force  near  the  Big  Black,  with  the  intention  to 
attack  our  rear,  and  thus  to  afford  Pemberton  an  opportunity 
to  escape  with  his  men.  Even  then  the  ability  of  General 
Johnston  was  recognized,  and  General  Grant  told  me  that 
he  was  about  the  only  general  on  that  side  whom  he  feared. 
Each  corps  kept  strong  pickets  well  to  the  rear ;  but,  as  the 
rumors  of  Johnston's  accumulating  force  reached  us,  General 
Grant  concluded  to  take  stronger  measures.  He  had  received 
from  the  North  General  J.  G.  Parkes's  corps  (Ninth),  which 
had  been  posted  at  Haines's  Bluff ;  then,  detailing  one  division 
from  each  of  the  three  corps  cFarmee  investing  Yicksburg,  he 


1863.]  VICKSBUKG.  329 

ordered  me  to  go  out,  take  a  general  command  of  all,  and  to 
counteract  any  movement  on  the  part  of  General  Johnston  to 
relieve  Yicksburg.  I  reconnoitred  the  whole  country,  from 
Haines's  Bluff  to  the  railroad  bridge,  and  posted  the  troops  thus : 
Parkes's  two  divisions  from  Haines's  Bluff  out  to  the  Benton  or 
ridge  road ;  Tuttle's  division,  of  my  corps,  joining  on  and  extend 
ing  to  a  plantation  called  Young's,  overlooking  Bear  Creek 
valley,  which  empties  into  the  Big  Black  above  Messinger's 
Ferry;  then  Me  Arthur's  division,  of  McPherson's  corps,  took 
up  the  line,  and  reached  to  Osterhaus's  division  of  McCler- 
nand's  corps,  which  held  a  strong  fortified  position  at  the  rail 
road-crossing  of  the  Big  -Black  River.  I  was  of  opinion  that,  if 
Johnston  should  cross  the  Big  Black,  he  could  by  the  favorable 
nature  of  the  country  be  held  in  check  till  a  concentration  could 
be  effected  by  us  at  the  point  threatened.  From  the  best  informa 
tion  we  could  gather,  General  Johnston  had  about  thirty  or  forty 
thousand  men.  I  took  post  near  a  plantation  of  one  Trible, 
near  Markharn's,  and  frequently  reconnoitred  the  whole  line,  and 
could  see  the  enemy  engaged  in  like  manner,  on  the  east  side  of 
Big  Black ;  but  he  never  attempted  actually  to  cross  over, 
except  with  some  cavalry,  just  above  Bear  Creek,  which 
was  easily  driven  back.  I  was  there  from  June  20th  to  the 
4th  of  July.  In  a  small  log-house  near  Markham's  was  the 
family  of  Mr.  Klein,  whose  wife  was  the  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Day,  of  New  Orleans,  who  in  turn  was  the  sister  of  Judge  T. 
"W.  Bartley,  my  brother-in-law.  I  used  frequently  to  drop  in 
and  take  a  meal  with  them,  and  Mrs.  Klein  was  generally 
known  as  the  general's  cousin,  which  doubtless  saved  her  and 
her  family  from  molestation,  too  common  on  the  part  of  our 
men. 

One  day,  as  I  was  riding  the  line  near  a  farm  known  as  Par 
son  Fox's,  I  heard  that  the  family  of  a  Mr.  "Wilkinson,  of  New 
Orleans,  was  "  refugeeing  "  at  a  house  near  by.  I  rode  up,  in 
quired,  and  found  two  young  girls  of  that  name,  who  said  they 
were  the  children  of  General  Wilkinson,  of  Louisiana,  and  that 
their  brother  had  been  at  the  Military  School  at  Alexandria. 
Inquiring  for  their  mother,  I  was  told  she  was  spending  the  day 


330  VICZSBURG.  [1863. 

at  Parson  Fox's.  As  this  house  was  on  my  route,  I  rode  there, 
went  through  a  large  gate  into  the  yard,  followed  by  my 
staff  and  escort,  and  found  quite  a  number  of  ladies  sitting 
on  the  porch.  I  rode  up  and  inquired  if  that  were  Parson  Fox's. 
The  parson,  a  fine-looking,  venerable  old  man,  rose,  and  said  that 
he  was  Parson  Fox.  I  then  inquired  for  Mrs.  Wilkinson, 
when  an  elderly  lady  answered  that  she  was  the  person.  I 
asked  her  if  she  were  from  Plaquemine  Parish,  Louisiana,  and  she 
said  she  was.  I  then  inquired  if  she  had  a  son  who  had  been  a 
cadet  at  Alexandria  when  General  Sherman  was  superintendent, 
and  she  answered  yes.  I  then  announced  myself,  inquired  after 
the  boy,  and  she  said  he  was  inside  o*f  Vicksburg,  an  artillery 
lieutenant.  I  then  asked  about  her  husband,  whom  I  had 
known,  when  she  burst  into  tears,  and  cried  out  in  agony,  "  You 
killed  him  at  Bull  Run,  where  he  was  fighting  for  his  country ! " 
I  disclaimed  killing  anybody  at  Bull  Run ;  but  all  the  women 
present  (nearly  a  dozen)  burst  into  loud  lamentations,  which 
made  it  most  uncomfortable  for  me,  and  I  rode  away.  On  the 
3d  of  July,  as  I  sat  at  my  bivouac  by  the  road-side  near  Trible's, 
I  saw  a  poor,  miserable  horse,  carrying  a  lady,  and  led  by  a  little 
negro  boy,  coming  across  a  cotton-field  toward  me ;  as  they  ap 
proached  I  recognized  poor  Mrs.  "Wilkinson,  and  helped  her  to 
dismount.  I  inquired  what  had  brought  her  to  me  in  that  style, 
and  she  answered  that  she  knew  Vicksburg  was  going  to  sur 
render,  and  she  wanted  to  go  right  away  to  see  her  boy.  I  had 
a  telegraph-wire  to  General  Grant's  headquarters,  and  had  heard 
that  there  were  symptoms  of  surrender,  but  as  yet  nothing 
definite.  I  tried  to  console  and  dissuade  her,  but  she  was  resolved, 
and  I  could  not  help  giving  her  a  letter  to  General  Grant,  ex 
plaining  to  him  who  she  was,  and  asking  him  to  give  her  the 
earliest  opportunity  to  see  her  son.  The  distance  was  fully 
twenty  miles,  but  off  she  started,  and  I  afterward  learned  that  my 
letter  had  enabled  her  to  see  her  son,  who  had  escaped  unharmed. 
Later  in  the  day  I  got  by  telegraph  General  Grant's  notice  of 
the  negotiations  for  surrender ;  and,  by  his  directions,  gave  gen 
eral  orders  to  my  troops  to  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to 
cross  the  Big  Black,  and  go  for  Joe  Johnston. 


1863.]  YICKSBUKG.  331 

The  next  day  (July  4,  1863)  Yieksburg  surrendered,  and 
orders  were  given  for  at  once  attacking  General  Johnston. 
The  Thirteenth  Corps  (General  Ord)  was  ordered  to  march 
rapidly,  and  cross  the  Big  Black  at  the  railroad-bridge;  the 
Fifteenth  by  Messinger's,  and  the  Ninth  (General  Parkes)  by 
Birdsong's  Ferry — all  to  converge  on  Bolton.  My  corps  crossed 
the  Big  Black  during  the  5th  and  6th  of  July,  and  marched  for 
Bolton,  where  we  came  in  with  General  Ord's  troops ;  but  the 
Ninth  Corps  was  delayed  in  crossing  at  Birdsong's.  Johnston 
had  received  timely  notice  of  Pemberton's  surrender,  and  was 
in  full  retreat  for  Jackson.  On  the  8th  all  our  troops  reached 
the  neighborhood  of  Clinton,  the  weather  fearfully  hot,  and 
water  scarce.  Johnston  had  marched  rapidly,  and  in  retreating 
had  caused  cattle,  hogs,  and  sheep,  to  be  driven  into  the  ponds 
of  water,  and  there  shot  down ;  so  that  we  had  to  haul  their 
dead  and  stinking  carcasses  out  to  use  the  water.  On  the  10th 
of  July  we  had  driven  the  rebel  army  into  Jackson,  where  it 
turned  at  bay  behind  the  intrenchments,  which  had  been  enlarged 
and  strengthened  since  our  former  visit  in  May.  We  closed  our 
lines  about  Jackson ;  my  corps  (Fifteenth)  held  the  centre,  ex 
tending  from  the  Clinton  to  the  Raymond  road ;  Ord's  (Thir 
teenth)  on  the  right,  reaching  Pearl  Eiver  below  the  town ;  and 
Parkes's  (Ninth)  the  left,  above  the  town. 

On  the  llth  we  pressed  close  in,  and  shelled  the  town  from 
every  direction.  One  of  Ord's  brigades  (Lauman's)  got  too  close, 
and  was  very  roughly  handled  and  driven  back  in  disorder. 
General  Ord  accused  the  commander  (General  Lauman)  of  having 
disregarded  his  orders,  and  attributed  to  him  personally  the  dis 
aster  and  heavy  loss  of  men.  He  requested  his  relief,  which  I 
granted,  and  General  Lauman  went  to  the  rear,  and  never  re 
gained  his  brigade.  He  died  after  the  war,  in  Iowa,  much 
respected,  as  before  that  time  he  had  been  universally  esteemed 
a  most  gallant  and  excellent  officer.  The  weather  was  fearfully 
hot,  but  we  continued  to  press  the  siege  day  and  night,  using 
our  artillery  pretty  freely ;  and  on  the  morning  of  July  17th 
the  place  was  found  evacuated.  General  Steele's  division  was 
sent  in  pursuit  as  far  as  Brandon  (fourteen  miles),  but  General 


332  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

Johnston  had  carried  his  army  safely  off,  and  pursuit  in  that 
hot  weather  would  have  been  fatal  to  my  command. 

Reporting  the  fact  to  General  Grant,  he  ordered  me  to  return, 
to  send  General  Parkes's  corps  to  Haines's  Bluff,  General  Ord's 
back  to  Vicksburg,  and  he  consented  that  I  should  encamp  my 
whole  corps  near  the  Big  Black,  pretty  much  on  the  same  ground 
we  had  occupied  before  the  movement,  and  with  the  prospect 
of  a  period  of  rest  for  the  remainder  of  the  summer.  We 
reached  our  camps  on  the  27th  of  July. 

Meantime,  a  division  of  troops,  commanded  by  Brigadier- 
General  "W.  Sooy  Smith,  had  been  added  to  my  corps.  General 
Smith  applied  for  and  received  a  sick-leave  on  the  20th  of  July; 
Brigadier-General  Hugh  Ewing  was  assigned  to  its  command ; 
and  from  that  time  it  constituted  the  Fourth  Division  of  the 
Fifteenth  Army  Corps. 

Port  Hudson  had  surrendered  to  General  Banks  on  the  8th 
of  July  (a  necessary  consequence  of  the  fall  of  Yicksburg),  and 
thus  terminated  probably  the  most  important  enterprise  of  the 
civil  war — the  recovery  of  the  complete  control  of  the  Missis 
sippi  River,  from  its  source  to  its  mouth — or,  in  the  language 
of  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  Mississippi  went  "  unvexed  to  the  sea." 

I  put  my  four  divisions  into  handsome,  clean  camps,  looking 
to  health  and  comfort  alone,  and  had  my  headquarters  in  a  beau 
tiful  grove  near  the  house  of  that  same  Parson  Fox  where  I 
had  found  the  crowd  of  weeping  rebel  women  waiting  for  the 
fate  of  their  friends  in  Yicksburg. 

The  loss  sustained  by  the  Fifteenth  Corps  in  the  assault  of 
May  19th,  at  Yicksburg,  was  mostly  confined  to  the  battalion  of 
the  Thirteenth  Regulars,  whose  commanding  officer,  Captain 
"Washington,  was  mortally  wounded,  and  afterward  died  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  which  battalion  lost  seventy-seven  men 
out  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  engaged ;  the  Eighty-third 
Indiana  (Colonel  Spooner),  and  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Illinois  (Lieutenant-Colonel  Eldridge),  the  aggregate 
being  about  two  hundred. 

In  the  assaults  of  the  22d,  the  loss  in  the  Fifteenth  Corps 
was-  about  six  hundred. 


1863.]  VICKSBUEG.  333 

In  the  attack  on  Jackson,  Mississippi,  during  the  llth-16th 
of  July,  General  Ord  reported  the  loss  in  the  Thirteenth  Army- 
Corps  seven  hundred  and  sixty-two,  of  which  five  hundred  and 
thirty-three  were  confined  to  Lauman's  division ;  General  Parkes 
reported,  in  the  Ninth  Corps,  thirty-seven  killed,  two  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  wounded,  and  thirty-three  missing  :  total,  three 
hundred  and  twenty-eight.  In  the  Fifteenth  Corps  the  loss 
was  less ;  so  that,  in  the  aggregate,  the  loss  as  reported  by  me  at 
the  time  was  less  than  a  thousand  men,  while  we  took  that  num 
ber  alone  of  prisoners. 

In  General  Grant's  entire  army  before  Yicksburg,  composed 
of  the  Ninth,  part  of  the  Sixteenth,  and  the  whole  of  the  Thir 
teenth,  Fifteenth,  and  Seventeenth  Corps,  the  aggregate  loss,  as 
stated  by  Badeau,  was — 

Killed 1,243 

"Wounded ' 7,095 

Missing ' 535 


Total , 8,873 

Whereas  the  Confederate  loss,  as  stated  by  the  same  author, 
was : 

Surrendered  at  Vicksburg 82,000 

Captured  at  Champion  Hills 3,000 

Captured  at  Big  Black  Bridge 2,000 

Captured  at  Port  Gibson 2,000 

Captured  with  Loring 4,000 

Killed  and  wounded 10,000 

Stragglers 3,000 

Total 56,000 

Besides  which,  "  a  large  amount  of  public  property,  consisting 
of  railroads,  locomotives,  cars,  steamers,  cotton,  guns,  muskets, 
ammunition,  etc.,  etc.,  was  captured  in  Yicksburg." 

The  value  of  the  capture  of  Yicksburg,  however,  was  not 
measured  by  the  list  of  prisoners,  guns,  and  small-arms,  but  by 
the  fact  that  its  possession  secured  the  navigation  of  the  great 
central  river  of  the  continent,  bisected  fatally  the  Southern  Con- 


334  YICESBUKG.  [1863. 

federacy,  and  set  the  armies  which  had  been  nsed  in  its  conquest 
free  for  other  purposes ;  and  it  so  happened  that  the  event  co 
incided  as  to  time  with  another  great  victory  which  crowned  our 
arms  far  away,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania.  That  was  a  defen 
sive  battle,  whereas  ours  was  offensive  in  the  highest  acceptation 
of  the  term,  and  the  two,  occurring  at  the  same  moment  of  time, 
should  have  ended  the  war ;  but  the  rebel  leaders  were  mad,  and 
seemed  determined  that  their  people  should  drink  of  the  very- 
lowest  dregs  of  the  cup  of  war,  which  they  themselves  had 
prepared. 

The  campaign  of  Vicksburg,  in  its  conception  and  execution, 
belonged  exclusively  to  General  Grant,  not  only  in  the  great 
whole,  but  in  the  thousands  of  its  details,  I  still  retain  many 
of  his  letters  and  notes,  all  in  his  own  handwriting,  prescribing 
the  routes  of  march  for  divisions  and  detachments,  specifying 
even  the  amount  of  food  and  tools  to  be  carried  along.  Many 
persons  gave  his  adjutant-general,  Rawlins,  the  credit  for  these 
things,  but  they  were  in  error ;  for  no  commanding  general  of  an 
army  ever  gave  more  of  his  personal  attention  to  details,  or  wrote 
so  many  of  his  own  orders,  reports,  and  letters,  as  General  Grant. 
His  success  at  Vicksburg  justly  gave  him  great  fame  at  home 
and  abroad.  The  President  conferred  on  him  the  rank  of  major- 
general  in  the  regular  army,  the  highest  grade  then  existing  by 
law ;  and  General  McPherson  and  I  shared  in  his  success  by 
receiving  similar  commissions  as  brigadier-generals  in  the  reg 
ular  army. 

But  our  success  at  Yicksburg  produced  other  results  not  so 
favorable  to  our  cause — a  general  relaxation  of  effort,  and  desire 
to  escape  the  hard  drudgery  of  camp :  officers  sought  leaves  of 
absence  to  visit  their  homes,  and  soldiers  obtained  furloughs  and 
discharges  on  the  most  slender  pretexts ;  even  the  General  Gov 
ernment  seemed  to  relax  in  its  efforts  to  replenish  our  ranks 
with  new  men,  or  to  enforce  the  draft,  and  the  politicians  w'ere 
pressing  their  schemes  to  reorganize  or  patch  up  some  form  of 
civil  government,  as  fast  as  the  armies  gained  partial  possession 
of  the  States. 

In  order  to  illustrate  this  peculiar  phase  of  our  civil  war,  I 


1863.]  YICKSBUEG.  335 

- 

give  at  this  place  copies  of  certain  letters  which  have  not  hereto 
fore  been  published : 

[PBITATE.] 

"WABHorcxoy,  August  29,  1&63. 

Major-General  W.  T.  SHZEKAIT,  Vick&urg,  Mississippi. 

Mr  DEAB  GEXEBAL  :  The  question  of  reconstruction  in  Louisiana,  Missis 
sippi,  and  Arkansas,  will  soon  come  up  for  decision  of  the  Government,  and 
not  only  the  length  of  the  war,  but  our  ultimate  and  complete  success,  will 
depend  upon  its  decision.  It  is  a  difficult  matter,  but  I  believe  it  can  be 
successfully  solved,  if  the  President  will  consult  opinions  of  cool  and  dis 
creet  men,  who  are  capable  of  looking  at  it  in  all  its  bearings  and  effects. 
I  think  he  is  disposed  to  receive  the  advice  of  our  generals  who  have  been 
in  these  States,  and  know  much  more  of  their  condition  than  gassy  politi 
cians  in  Congress.  General  Banks  has  written  pretty  fully  on  the  subject. 
1  wrote  to  General  Grant,  immediately  after  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  for  his 
views  in  regard  to  Mississippi,  but  he  has  not  yet  answered. 

I  wish  yon  would  consult  with  Grant,  McPherson,  and  others  of  cool, 
good  judgment,  and  write  me  your  views  fully,  as  I  may  wish  to  use  them 
with  the  President.  You  had  better  write  me  unofficially,  and  then  your 
letter  will  not  be  put  on  file,  and  cannot  hereafter  be  used  against  you. 
You  have  been  in  Washington  enough  to  know  how  every  thing  a  man 
writes  or  says  is  picked  up  by  his  enemies  and  misconstrued.  With  kind 
wishes  for  your  further  success, 

I  am  yours  truly, 

H.  W.  HAXLECK. 

[PRIVATE  ASD  COXJTDKSTIAL.] 

HKADQTJAETEES,  FITTEEXTH  AEJTT  OOEPS, 
CAXP  ON  BIG  BLACK,  MISSISSIPPI,  September  17, 1863. ) 

H.  W.  HALLE  CK,  Commander-in- Chief,  Washington,  D.  C. 

DEAE  GEXEBAL:  I  have  received  your  letter  of  August  29th,  and  with 
pleasure  confide  to  you  fully  my  thoughts  on  the  important  matters  you 
suggest,  with  absolute  confidence  that  you  will  use  what  is  valuable,  and 
reject  the  useless  or  superfluous. 

That  part  of  the  continent  of  Xorth  America  known  as  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  and  Arkansas,  is  in  my  judgment  the  key  to  the  whole  interior. 
The  valley  of  the  Mississippi  is  America,  and,  although  railroads  have 
changed  the  economy  of  intercommunication,  yet  the  water-channels  still 
mark  the  lines  of  fertile  land,  and  afford  cheap  carriage  to  the  heavy  prod 
ucts  of  it. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  country  on  the  Monongahela,  the  Illinois,  the 
Minnesota,  the  Yellowstone,  and  Osage,  are  as  directly  concerned  in  the 
security  of  the  Lower  Mississippi  as  are  those  who  dwell  on  its  very  banks 


336  •      VICKSBURG.  [1863. 

» 

in  Louisiana ;  and  now  that  the  nation  has  recovered  its  possession,  this 
generation  of  men  will  make  a  fearful  mistake  if  they  again  commit  its 
charge  to  a  people  liahle  to  misuse  their  position,  and  assert,  aa  was  recently 
done,  that,  because  they  dwelt  on  the  banks  of  this  mighty  stream,  they 
had  a  right  to  control  its  navigation. 

I  would  deem  it  very  unwise  at  this  time,  or  for  years  to  come,  to 
revive  the  State  governments  of  Louisiana,  etc.,  or  to  institute  in  this 
quarter  any  civil  government  in  which  the  local  people  have  much  to  say. 
They  had  a  government  so  mild  and  paternal  that  they  gradually  forgot 
they  had  any  at  all,  save  what  they  themselves  controlled ;  they  asserted 
an  absolute  right  to  seize  public  moneys,  forts,  arms,  and  even  to  shut  up 
the  natural  avenues  of  travel  and  commerce.  They  chose  war — they 
ignored  and  denied  all  the  obligations  of  the  solemn  contract  of  govern 
ment  and  appealed  to  force. 

"We  accepted  the  issue,  and  now  they  begin  to  realize  that  war  is  a  two- 
edged  sword,  and  it  may  be  that  many  of  the  inhabitants  cry  for  peace.  I 
know  them  well,  and  the  very  impulses  of  their  nature ;  and  to  deal  with  the 
inhabitants  of  that  part  of  the  South  which  borders  on  the  great  river,  we 
must  recognize  the  classes  into  which  they  have  divided  themselves : 

First.  The  large  planters,  owning  lands,  slaves,,  and  all  kinds  of  pe'r- 
sonal  property.  These  are,  on  the  whole,  the  ruling  class.  They  are  edu 
cated,  wealthy,  and  easily  approached.  In  some  districts  they  are  bitter  as 
gall,  and  have  given  up  slaves,  plantations,  and  all,  serving  in  the  armies  of 
the  Confederacy ;  whereas,  in  others,  they  are  conservative.  None  dare 
admit  a  friendship  for  us,  though  they  say  freely  that  they  were  at  the  outset 
opposed  to  war  and  disunion.  I  Tcnow  we  can  manage  this  class,  but  only  by 
action.  Argument  is  exhausted,  and  words  have  lost  their  usual  meaning. 
Nothing  but  the  logic  of  events  touches  their  understanding ;  but,  of  late, 
this  has  worked  a  wonderful  change.  If  our  country  were  like  Europe, 
crowded  with  people,  I  would  say  it  would  be  easier  to  replace  this  class 
than  to  reconstruct  it,  subordinate  to  the  policy  of  the  nation  ;  but,  as  this 
is  not  the  case,  it  is  better  to  allow  the  planters,  with  individual  exceptions, 
gradually  to  recover  their  plantations,  to  hire  any  species  of  labor,  and  to 
adapt  themselves  to  the  new  order  of  things.  Still,  their  friendship  and  as 
sistance  to  reconstruct  order  out  of  the  present  ruin  cannot  be  depended  on. 
They  watch  the  operations  of  our  armies,  and  hope  still  for  a  Southern  Con 
federacy  that  will  restore  to  them  the  slaves  and  privileges  which  they 
feel  are  otherwise  lost  forever.  In  my  judgment,  we  have  two  more  battles 
to  win  before  we  should  even  bother  our  minds  with  the  idea  of  restoring 
civil  order — viz.,  one  near  Meridian,  in  November,  and  one  near  Shreveport, 
in  February  and  March  next,  when  Red  River  is  navigable  by  our  gunboats. 
When  these  are  done,  then,  and  not  until  then,  will  the  planters  of  Louisi 
ana,  Arkansas,  and  Mississippi,  submit.  Slavery  is  already  gone,  and,  to  cnl- 


1863.]  VICKSBUEG.     .  337 

tivate  the  land,  negro  or  other  labor  must  be  hired.  This,  of  itself,  is  a  vast 
revolution,  and  time  must  be  afforded  to  allow  men  to  adjust  their  minds 
and  habits  to  this  new  order  of  things.  A  civil  government  of  the  repre 
sentative  type  would  suit  this  class  far  less  than  a  pure  military  rule,  readi 
ly  adapting  itself  to  actual  occurrences,  and  able  to  enforce  its  laws  and 
orders  promptly  and  emphatically. 

Second.  The  smaller  farmers,  mechanics,  merchants,  and  laborers.  This 
class  will  probably  number  three-quarters  of  the  whole ;  have,  in  fact,  no 
real  interest  in  the  establishment  of  a  Southern  Confederacy,  and  have  been 
led  or  driven  into  war  on  the  false  theory  that  they  were  to  be  benefited 
somehow— they  knew  not  how.  They  are  essentially  tired  of  the  war,  and 
would  slink  back  home  if  they  could.  These  are  the  real  tiers  etat  of  the 
South,  and  are  hardly  worthy  a  thought ;  for  they  swerve  to  and  fro  ac 
cording  to  events  which  they  do  not  comprehend  or  attempt  to  shape. 
When  the  time  for  reconstruction  comes,  they  will  want  the  old  political 
system  of  caucuses,  Legislatures,  etc.,  to  amuse  them  and  make  them  believe 
they  are  real  sovereigns ;  but  in  all  things  they  will  follow  blindly  the  lead 
of  the  planters.  The  Southern  politicians,  who  understand  this  class,  use 
them  as  the  French  do  their  masses — seemingly  consult  their  prejudices, 
while  they  make  their  orders  and  enforce  them.  "We  should  do  the  same. 

Third.  The  Union  men  of  the  South.  I  must  confess  I  have  little  re 
spect  for  this  class.  They  allowed  a  clamorous  set  of  demagogues  to  muzzle 
and  drive  them  as  a  pack  of  curs.  Afraid  of  shadows,  they  submit  tamely 
to  squads  of  dragoons,  and  permit  them,  without  a  murmur,  to  burn  their 
cotton,  take  their  horses,  corn,  and  every  thing ;  and,  when  we  reach  them, 
they  are  full  of  complaints  if  our  men  take  a  few  fence-rails  for  fire,  or  corn 
to  feed  our  horses.  They  give  us  no  assistance  or  information,  and  are 
loudest  in  their  complaints  at  the  smallest  excesses  of  our  soldiers.  Their 
sons,  horses,  arms,  and  everything  useful,  are  in  the  army  against  us,  and 
they  stay  at  home,  claiming  all  the  .exemptions  of  peaceful  citizens.  I  ac 
count  them  as  nothing  in  this  great  game  of  war. 

Fourth.  The  young  bloods  of  the  South :  sons  of  planters,  lawyers  about 
towns,  good  billiard-players  and  sportsmen,  men  who  never  did  work  and 
never  will.  "War  suits  them,  and  the  rascals  are  brave,  fine  riders,  bold  to 
rashness,  and  dangerous  subjects  in  every  sense.  They  care  not  a  sou  for 
niggers,  land,  or  any  thing.  They 'hate  Yankees  per  se,  and  don't  bother 
their  brains  about  the  past,  present,  or  future.  As  long  as  they  have  good 
horses,  plenty  of  forage,  and  an  open  country,  they  are  happy.  This  is  a 
larger  class  than  most  men  suppose,  and  they  are  the  most  dangerous  set  of 
men  that  this  war  has  turned  loose  upon  the  world.  They  are  splendid 
riders,  first-rate  shots,  and  utterly  reckless.  Stewart,  John  Morgan,  Forrest, 
and  Jackson,  are  the  types  and  leaders  of  this  class.  These  men  must  all  be 
killed  or  employed  by  us  before  we  can  hope  for  peace.  They  have  no  prop- 

22 


338  VICKSBUKG.  [1863. 

erty  or  future,  and  therefore  cannot  be  influenced  by  any  thing,  except  per 
sonal  considerations.  I  have  two  brigades  of  these  fellows  in  my  front, 
commanded  by  Cosby,  of  the  old  army,  and  Whitfield,  of  Texas.  Stephen 
D.  Lee  is  in  command  of  the  whole.  I  have  frequent  interviews  with 
their  officers,  a  good  understanding  with  them,  and  am  inclined  to  think, 
when  the  resources  of  their  country  are  exhausted,  we  must  employ  them. 
They  are  the  best  cavalry  in  the  world,  but  it  will  tax  Mr.  Chase's  genius  for 
finance  to  supply  them  with  horses.  At  present  horses  cost  them  nothing ; 
for  they  take  where  they  find,  and  don't  bother  their  brains  as  to  who  is  to 
pay  for  them ;  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  cornfields,  which  have,  as  they 
believe,  been  cultivated  by  a  good-natured  people  for  their  special  benefit. 
"We  propose  to  share  with  them  the  free  use  of  these  cornfields,  planted  by 
willing  hands,  that  will  never  gather  the  crops. 

Now  that  I  have  sketched  the  people  who  inhabit  the  district  of  country 
under  consideration,  I  will  proceed  to  discuss  the.future. 

A  civil  government  now,  for  any  part  of  it,  would  be  simply  ridicu 
lous.  The  people  would  not  regard  it,  and  even  the  military  commanders 
of  the  antagonistic  parties  would  treat  it  lightly.  Governors  would  be 
simply  petitioners  for  military  assistance,  to  protect  supposed  friendly  in 
terests,  and  military  commanders  would  refuse  to  disperse  and  weaken  their 
armies  for  military  reasons.  Jealousies  would  arise  between  the  two  con 
flicting  powers,  and,  instead  of  contributing  to  the  end  of  the  war,  would 
actually  defer  it.  Therefore,  I  contend  that  the  interests  of  the  United 
States,  and  of  the  real  parties  concerned,  demand  the  continuance  of  the 
simple  military  rule,  till  after  all  the  organized  armies  of  the  South  are 
dispersed,  conquered,  and  subjugated. 

The  people  of  all  this  region  are  represented  in  the  Army  of  Virginia, 
at  Charleston,  Mobile,  and  Chattanooga.  They  have  sons  and  relations  in 
each  of  the  rebel  armies,  and  naturally  are  interested  in  their  fate.  Though 
we  hold  military  possession  of  the  key-points  of  their  country,  still  they  con 
tend,  and  naturally,  that  should  Lee  succeed  in  Virginia,  or  Bragg  at  Chat 
tanooga,  a  change  will  occur  here  also.  "We  cannot  for  this  reason  attempt 
to  reconstruct  parts  of  the  South  as  we  conquer  it,  till  all  idea  of  the  establish 
ment  of  a  Southern  Confederacy  is  abandoned.  "We  should  avail  ourselves 
of  the  present  lull  to  secure  the  strategical  points  that  will  give  us  an  ad 
vantage  in  the  future  military  movements,  and  we  should  treat  the  idea  of 
civil  government  as  one  in  which  we  as  a  nation  have  a  minor  or  subordi 
nate  interest.  The  opportunity  is  good  to  impress  on  the  population  the 
truth  that  they  are  more  interested  in  civil  government  than  we  are  ;  and 
that,  to  enjoy  the  protection  of  laws,  they  must  not  be  passive  observers  of 
events,  but  must  aid  and  sustain  the  constituted  authorities  in  enforcing  the 
law's ;  they  must  not  only  submit  themselves,  but  should  pay  their  share  of 
taxes,  and  render  personal  services  when  called  on. 


1863.]  VICKSBURG.  339 

It  seems  to  me,  in  contemplating  the  history  of  the  past  two  years,  that 
all  the  people  of  onr  country,  North,  South,  East,  and  West,  have  been4 
undergoing  a  salutary  political  schooling,  learning  lessons  which  might  have 
been  acquired  from  the  experience  of  other  people;  but  we  had  all 
become  so  wise  in  our  own  conceit  that  we  would  only  learn  by  actual  ex 
perience  of  our  own.  The  people  even  of  small  and  unimportant  localities, 
North  as  well  as  South,  had  reasoned  themselves  into  the  belief  that  their 
opinions  were  superior  to  the  aggregated  interest  of  the  whole  nation. 
Half  our  territorial  nation  rebelled,  on  a  doctrine  of  secession  that  they 
themselves  now  scout ;  and  a  real  numercial  majority  actually  believed  that 
a  little  State  was  endowed  with  such  sovereignty  that  it  could  defeat  the 
policy  of  the  great  whole.  I  think  the  present  war  has  exploded  that 
notion,  and  were  this  war  to  cease  now,  the  experience  gained,  though 
dear,  would  be  worth  the  expense. 

Another  great  and  important  natural  truth  is  still  in  contest,  and  can 
only  be  solved  by  war.  Numercial  majorities  by  vote  have  been  our  great 
arbiter.  Heretofore  all  men  have  cheerfully  submitted  to  it  in  questions 
left  open,  but  numerical  majorities  are  not  necessarily  physical  majorities. 
The  South,  though  numerically  inferior,  contend  they  can  whip  the  Northern 
superiority  of  numbers,  and  therefore  by  natural  law  they  contend  that  they 
are  not  bound  to  submit.  This  issue  is  the  only  real  one,  and  in  my  judg 
ment  all  else  should  be  deferred  to  it.  War  alone  can  decide  it,  and  it  is 
the  only  question  now  left  for  us  as  a  people  to  decide.  Can  we  whip  the 
South  ?  If  we  can,  our  numerical  majority  has  both  the  natural  and  consti 
tutional  right  to  govern  them.  If  we  cannot  whip  them,  they  contend  for 
the  natural  right  to  select  their  own  government,  and  they  have  the  argu 
ment.  Our  armies  must  prevail  over  theirs;  our  officers,  marshals,  and 
courts,  must  penetrate  into  the  innermost  recesses  of  their  land,  before  we 
have  the  natural  right  to  demand  their  submission. 

I  would  banish  all  minor  questions,  assert  the  broad  doctrine  that 
as  a  nation  the  "United  States  has  the  right,  and  also  the  physical  power,  to 
penetrate  to  every  part  of  our  national  domain,  and  that  we  will  do  it — 
that  we  will  do  it  in  our  own  time  and  in  our  own  way ;  that  it  makes  no 
difference  whether  it  be  in  one  year,  or  two,  or  ten,  or  twenty ;  that  we 
will  remove  and  destroy  every  obstacle,  if  need  be,  take  every  life,  every 
acre  of  land,  every  particle  of  property,  every  thing  that  to  us  seems 
proper ;  that  we  will  not  cease  till  the  end  is  attained ;  that  all  who  do  not 
aid  us  are  enemies,  and  that  we  will  not  account  to  them  for  our  acts.  If 
the  people  of  the  South  oppose,  they  do  so  at  their  peril ;  and  if  they  stand 
by,  mere  lookers-on  in  this  domestic  tragedy,  they  have  no  right  to  immu 
nity,  protection,  or  share  in  the  final  results. 

I  even  believe  and  contend  further  that,  in  the  North,  every  member  of 
the  nation  is  bound  by  both  natural  and  constitutional  law  to  "maintain 


340  V1CKSBURG.  [18G3. 

and  defend  the  Government  against  all  its  enemies  and  opposers  whomso- 
lever."  If  they  fail  to  do  it  they  are  derelict,  and  can  be  punished,  or  de 
prived  of  all  advantages  arising  from  the  labors  of  those  who  do.  If  any 
man,  North  or  South,  withholds  his  share  of  taxes,  or  his  physical  assist 
ance  in  this,  the  crisis  of  our  history,  he  should  be  deprived  of  all  voice  in 
the  future  elections  of  this  country,  and  might  be  banished,  or  reduced  to 
the  condition  of  a  mere  denizen  of  the  land. 

"War  is  upon  us,  none  can  deny  it.  It  is  not  the  choice  of  the  Government 
of  the  United  States,  but  of  a  faction ;  the  Government  was  forced  to  ac 
cept  the  issue,  or  to  submit  to  a  degradation  fatal  and  disgraceful  to  all  the 
inhabitants.  In  accepting  war,  it  should  be  "pure  and  simple "  as  applied 
to  the  belligerents.  I  would  keep  it  so,  till  all  traces  of  the  war  are  effaced ; 
till  those  who  appealed  to  it  are  sick  and  tired  of  it,  and  come  to  the  em 
blem  of  our  nation,  and  sue  for  peace.  I  would  not  coax  them,  or  even 
meet  them  half-way,  but  make  them  so  sick  of  war  that  generations  would 
pass  away  before  they  would  again  appeal  to  it. 

I  know  what  I  say  when  I  repeat  that  the  insurgents  of  the  South  sneer 
at  all  overtures  looking  to  their  interests.  They  scorn  the  alliance  with  the 
Copperheads ;  they  tell  me  to  my  face  that  they  respect  Grant,  McPherson, 
and  our  brave  associates  who  fight  manfully  and  well  for  a  principle,  but 
despise  the  Copperheads  and  sneaks  at  the  North,  who  profess  friendship 
for  the  South  and  opposition  to  the  war,  as  mere  covers  for  their  knavery 
and  poltroonery. 

God  knows  that  I  deplore  this  fratricidal  war  as  much  as  any  man  living, 
but  it  is  upon  us,  a  physical  fact ;  and  there  is  only  one  honorable  issue 
from  it.  "We  must  fight  it  out,  army  against  army,  and  man  against  man  ; 
and  I  know,  and  you  know,  and  civilians  begin  to  realize  the  fact,  that 
reconciliation  and  reconstruction  will  be  easier  through  and  by  means  of 
strong,  well-equipped,  and  organized  armies  than  through  any  species  of 
conventions  that  can  be  framed.  The  issues  are  made,  and  all  discussion  is 
out  of  place  and  ridiculous.  The  section  of  thirty-pounder  Parrott  rifles 
now  drilling  before  my  tent  is  a  more  convincing  argument  than  the  largest 
Democratic  meeting  the  State  of  New  York  can  possibly  assemble  at  Al 
bany  ;  and  a  simple  order  of  the  "War  Department  to  draft  enough  men  to 
fill  our  skeleton  regiments  would  be  more  convincing  as  to  our  national  per 
petuity  than  an  humble  pardon  to  Jeff.  Davis  and  all  his  misled  host. 

The  only  government  needed  or  deserved  by  the  States  of  Louisiana, 
Arkansas,  and  Mississippi,  now  exists  in  Grant's  army.  This  needs,  simply, 
enough  privates  to  fill  its  ranks ;  all  else  will  follow  in  due  season.  This 
army  has  its  well-defined  code  of  laws  and  practice,  and  can  adapt  itself  to 
the  wants  arid  necessities  of  a  city,  the  country,  the  rivers,  the  sea,  indeed 
to  all  parts  of  this  land.  It  better  subserves  the  interest  and  policy  of  the 
General  Government,  and  the  people  here  prefer  it  to  any  weak  or  ser- 


1863.]  VICKSBUKG.  341 

vile  combination  that  would  at  once,  from  force  of  habit,  revive  and  perpet 
uate  local  prejudices  and  passions.  The  people  of  this  country  have  for 
feited  all  right  to  a  voice  in  the  councils  of  the  nation.  They  know  it  and 
feel  it,  and  in  after-years  they  will  be  the  better  citizens  from  the  dear- 
bought  experience  of  the  present  crisis.  Let  them  learn  now,  and  learn  it 
well,  that  good  citizens  must  obey  as  well  as  command.  Obedience  to  law, 
absolute — yea,  even  abject — is  the  lesson  that  this  war,  under  Providence, 
will  teach  the  free  and  enlightened  American  citizen.  As  a  nation,  we  shall 
be  the  better  for  it. 

I  never  have  apprehended  foreign  interference  in  our  family  quarrel. 
Of  course,  governments  founded  on  a  different  and  it  may  be  an  antago 
nistic  principle  with  ours  naturally  feel  a  pleasure  at  our  complications,  and, 
it  may  be,  wish  our  downfall ;  but  in  the  end  England  and  France  will  join 
with  us  in  jubilation  at  the  triumph  of  constitutional  government  over 
faction.  Even  now  the  English  manifest  this.  I  do  not  profess  to  under 
stand  Napoleon's  design  in  Mexico,  and  I  do  not  see  that  his  taking  military 
possession  of  Mexico  concerns  us.  "We  have  as  much  territory  now  as  we 
want.  The  Mexicans  have  failed  in  self-government,  and  it  was  a  question 
as  to  what  nation  she  should  fall  a  prey.  That  is  now  solved,  and  I  don't 
see  that  we  are  damaged.  "We  have  the  finest  part  of  the  North  American 
Continent,  all  we  can  people  and  can  take  care  of ;  and,  if  we  can  suppress 
rebellion  in  our  own  land,  and  compose  the  strife  generated  by  it,  we  shall 
have  enough  people,  resources,  and  wealth,  if  well  combined,  to  defy  in 
terference  from  any  and  every  quarter. 

I  therefore  hope  the  Government  of  the  United  States  will  continue,  aa 
heretofore,  to  collect,  in  well-organized  armies,  the  physical  strength  of 
the  nation ;  applying  it,  as  heretofore,  in  asserting  the  national  authority ; 
and  in  persevering,  without  relaxation,  to  the  end.  This,  whether  near  or 
far  off,  is  not  for  us  to  say ;  but,  fortunately,  we  have  no  choice.  We  mnst 
succeed — no  other  choice  is  left  us  except  degradation.  The  South  must  be 
ruled  by  us,  or  she  will  rule  us.  We  must  conquer  them,  or  ourselves  be 
conquered.  There  is  no  middle  course.  They  ask,  and  will  have,  nothing 
else,  and  talk  of  compromise  is  bosh;  for  we  know  they  would  even  scorn 
the  offer. 

I  wish  the  war  could  have  been  deferred  for  twenty  years,  till  the 
superabundant  population  of  the  North  could  flow  in  and  replace  the  losses 
sustained  by  war ;  but  this  could  not  be,  and  we  are  forced  to  take  things 
as  they  are. 

All  therefore  I  can  now  venture  to  advise  is  to  raise  the  draft  to  its 
maximum,  fill  the  present  regiments  to  as  large  a  standard  as  possible, 
and  push  the  war,  pure  and  simple.  Great  attention  should  be  paid  to 
the  discipline  of  our  armies,  for  on  them  may  be  founded  the  future  sta 
bility  of  the  Government. 


342  VICKSBUEG.  [1863. 

The  cost  of  the  war  is,  of  course,  to  be  considered,  bat  finances  will 
adjust  themselves  to  the  actual  state  of  affairs ;  and,  even  if  we  would,  we 
could  not  change  the  cost.  Indeed,  the  larger  the  cost  now,  the  less  will 
it  be  in  the  end ;  for  the  end  must  be  attained  somehow,  regardless  of 
loss  of  life  and  treasure,  and  is  merely  a  question  of  time. 

Excuse  so  long  a  letter.    With  great  respect,  etc., 

"W.  T.  SHEBMAX,  Major-  General. 

General  Halleck,  on  receipt  of  this  letter,  telegraphed  me 
that  Mr.  Lincoln  had  read  it  carefully,  and  had  instructed  him 
to  obtain  my  consent  to  have  it  published.  At  the  time,  I  pre 
ferred  not  to  be  drawn  into  any  newspaper  controversy,  and  so 
wrote  to  General  Halleck ;  and  the  above  letter  has  never  been, 
to  my  knowledge,  published;  though  Mr.  Lincoln  more  than 
once  referred  to  it  with  marks  of  approval. 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTEENTH  ARMY  CORPS,     ) 
CAMP  ON  BIG  BLACK,  September  17, 1863.  J 

Brigadier -General  J.  A.  KAWLETS,  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant -General, 
Vicksburg. 

DEAR  GENERAL:  I  inclose  for  your  perusal,  and  for  you  to  read  to 
General  Grant  such  parts  as  you  deem  interesting,  letters  received  by  me 
from  Prof.  Mahan  and  General  Halleck,  with  my  answers.  After  you  have 
read  my  answer  to  General  Halleck,  I  beg  you  to  inclose  it  to  its  address, 
and  return  me  the  others. 

I  think  Prof.  Mahan's  very  marked  encomium  upon  the  campaign  of 
Vicksburg  is  so  flattering  to  General  Grant,  that  you  may  offer  to  let  him 
keep  the  letter,  if  he  values  such  a  testimonial.  I  have  never  written  a 
word  to  General  Halleck  since  my  report  of  last  December,  after  the  affair 
at  Chickasaw,  except  a  short  letter  a  few  days  ago,  thanking  him  for  the 
kind  manner  of  his  transmitting  to  me  the  appointment  of  brigadier-general. 
I  know  that  in  Washington  I  am  incomprehensible,  because  at  the  outset 
of  the  war  I  would  not  go  it  blind  and  rush  headlong  into  a  war  unprepared 
and  with  an  utter  ignorance  of  its  extent  and  purpose.  I  was  then  con 
strued  unsound ;  and  now  that  I  insist  on  war  pure  and  simple,  with  no 
admixture  of  civil  compromises,  I  am  supposed  vindictive.  You  remember 
what  Polonius  said  to  his  son  Laertes:  "Beware  of  entrance  to  a  quarrel; 
but,  being  in,  bear  it,  that  the  opposed  may  beware  of  thee."  What  is  true 
of  the  single  man,  is  equally  true  of  a  nation.  Our  leaders  seemed  at  first 
to  thirst  for  the  quarrel,  willing,  even  anxious,  to  array  against  us  all  pos 
sible  elements  of  opposition ;  and  now,  being  in,  they  would  hasten  to  quit 
long  before  the  "  opposed "  has  received  that  lesson  which  he  needs.  I 


1863.J  VICKSBTJKG.  343 

would  make  this  war  as  severe  as  possible,  and  show  no  symptoms  of  tiring 
till  the  South  begs  for  mercy;  indeed,  I  know,  and  you  know,  that  the  end 
would  be  reached  quicker  by  such  a  course  than  by  any  seeming  yielding 
on  our  part.  I  don't  want  our  Government  to  be  bothered  by  patching  up 
local  governments,  or  by  trying  to  reconcile  any  class  of  men.  The  South 
has  done  her  worst,  and  now  is  the  time  for  us  to  pile  on  our  blows  thick 
and  fast. 

Instead  of  postponing  the  draft  till  after  the  elections,  we  ought  now  to 
have  our  ranks  full  of  drafted  men ;  and,  at  best,  if  they  come  at  all,  they  will 
reach  us  when  we  should  be  in  motion. 

I  think  General  Halleck  would  like  to  have  the  honest,  candid  opinions 
of  all  of  us,  viz.,  Grant,  McPherson,  and  Sherman.  I  have  given  mine,  and 
would  prefer,  of  course,  that  it  should  coincide  with  the  others.  Still,  no 
matter  what  my  opinion  may  be,  I  can  easily  adapt  my  conduct  to  the 
plans  of  others,  and  am  only  too  happy  when  I  find  theirs  better  than 
mine. 

If  no  trouble,  please  show  Halleck's  letter  to  McPherson,  and  ask  him 
to  write  also.  I  know  his  regiments  are  like  mine  (mere  squads),  and  need 
filling  up.  Yours  truly, 

"W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major- General. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHATTANOOGA     AND     KNOX  VILL  E . 
JULY   TO   DECEMBER,  1863. 

AFTER  the  fall  of  Yicksburg,  and  its  corollary,  Port  Hud 
son,  the  Mississippi  River  was  wholly  in  the  possession  of  the 
Union  forces,  and  formed  a  perfect  line  of  separation  in  the  ter 
ritories  of  our  opponents.  Thenceforth,  they  could  not  cross  it 
save  by  stealth,  and  the  military  affairs  on  its  west  bank  be 
came  unimportant.  Grant's  army  had  seemingly  completed  its 
share  of  the  work  of  war,  and  lay,  as  it  were,  idle  for  a  time.  In 
person  General  Grant  went  to  New  Orleans  to  confer  with  Gen 
eral  Banks,  and  his  victorious  army  was  somewhat  dispersed. 
Parke's  corps  (Ninth)  returned  to  Kentucky,  and  afterward 
formed  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  under  General  Burnside ; 
Ord's  corps  (Thirteenth)  was  sent  down  to  Natchez,  and  gradu 
ally  drifted  to  New  Orleans  and  Texas ;  McPherson's  (Seven 
teenth)  remained  in  and  near  Yicksburg ;  Hurlbut's  (Sixteenth) 
was  at  Memphis ;  and  mine  (Fifteenth)  was  encamped  along  the 
Big  Black,  about  twenty  miles  east  of  Yicksburg.  This  corps 
was  composed  of  four  divisions:  Steele's  (the  First)  was  posted 
at  and  near  the  railroad-bridge ;  Blair's  (the  Second),  next  in 
order,  near  Parson  Fox's;  the  Third  Division  (Tuttle's)  was 
on  the  ridge  about  the  head  of  Bear  Creek ;  and  the  Fourth 
(Ewing's)  was  at  Messinger's  Ford.  My  own  headquarters 
were  in  tents  in  a  fine  grove  of  old  oaks  near  Parson  Fox's 
house,  and  the  battalion  of  the  Thirteenth  Regulars  was  the 
headquarters  guard. 

All  the  camps  were  arranged  for  health,  comfort,  rest,  and 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AN£  KNOXVILLE.  345 


drill.  It  being  midsummer,  we  did  not  expect  any  change  till 
the  autumn  months,  and  accordingly  made  ourselves  as  comfort 
able  as  possible.  There  was  a  short  railroad  in  operation  from 
Vicksburg  to  the  bridge  across  the  Big  Black,  whence  supplies 
in  abundance  were  hauled  to  our  respective  camps.  With  a 
knowledge  of  this  fact  Mrs.  Sherman  came  down  from  Ohio 
with  Minnie,  Lizzie,  "Willie,  and  Tom,  to  pay  us  a  visit  in  our 
camp  at  Parson  Fox's.  Willie  was  then  nine  years  old,  was 
well  advanced  for  his  years,  and  took  the  most  intense  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  army.  He  was  a  great  favorite  with  the 
soldiers,  and  used  to  ride  with  me  on  horseback  in  the  numer 
ous  drills  and  reviews  of  the  time.  He  then  had  the  promise 
of  as  long  a  life  as  any  of  my  children,  and  displayed  more  in 
terest  in  the  war  than  any  of  them.  He  was  called  a  "ser 
geant"  in  the  regular  battalion,  learned  the  manual  of  arms, 
and  regularly  attended  the  parade  and  guard-mounting  of  the 
Thirteenth,  back  of  my  camp.  We  made  frequent  visits  to 
Yicksburg,  and  alwa}rs  stopped  with  General  McPherson,  who 
had  a  large  house,  and  boarded  with  a  family  (Mrs.  Edwards's)  in 
which  were  several  interesting  young  ladies.  General  Grant 
occupied  another  house  (Mrs.  Lum's)  in  Yicksburg  during  that 
summer,  and  also  had  his  family  with  him.  The  time  passed 
very  agreeably,  diversified  only  by  little  events  of  not  much 
significance,  among  which  I  will  recount  only  one. 

While  we  occupied  the  west  bank  of  the  Big  Black,  the 
east  bank  was  watched  by  a  rebel  cavalry-division,  commanded 
by  General  Armstrong.  He  had  four  brigades,  commanded  by 
Generals  Whitfield,  Stark,  Cosby,  and  Wirt  Adams.  Quite  fre 
quently  they  communicated  with  us  by  flags  of  truce  on  trivial 
matters,  and  we  reciprocated,  merely  to  observe  them.  One  day 
a  flag  of  truce,  borne  by  a  Captain  B  -  ,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
escorted  by  about  twenty-five  men,  was  reported  at  Messinger's 
Ferry,  and  I  sent  orders  to  let  them  come  right  into  my  tent. 
This  brought  them  through  the  camps  of  the  Fourth  Division, 
and  part  of  the  Second  ;  and  as  they  drew  up  in  front  of  my 
tent,  I  invited  Captain  B  -  and  another  officer  with  him  (a 
major  from  Mobile)  to  dismount,  to  enter  my  tent,  and  to  make 


346  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

themselves  at  home.  Their  escort  was  sent  to  join  mine,  with 
orders  to  furnish  them  forage  and  every  thing  they  wanted. 

B had  brought  a  sealed  letter  for  General  Grant  at  Vicks- 

burg,  which  was  dispatched  to  him.    In  the  evening  we  had  a 

good  supper,  with  wine  and  cigars,  and,  as  we  sat  talking,  B 

spoke  of  his  father  and  mother,  in  Louisville,  got  leave  to  write 
them  a  long  letter  without  its  being  read  by  any  one,  and 
then  we  talked  about  the  war.  He  said:  "What  is  the  use 
of  your  persevering  ?  It  is  simply  impossible  to  subdue  eight 
millions  of  people ; "  asserting  that  "  the  feeling  in  the  South 
had  become  so  embittered  that  a  reconciliation  was  impossible." 
I  answered  that,  "sitting  as  we  then  were,  we  appeared  very 
comfortable,  and  surely  there  was  no  trouble  in  our  becoming 
friends."  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  that  is  very  true  of  us,  but  we  are 
gentlemen  of  education,  and  can  easily  adapt  ourselves  to  any 
condition  of  things ;  but  this  would  not  apply  equally  well  to  the 
common  people,  or  to  the  common  soldiers."  I  took  him  out  to 
the  camp-fires  behind  the  tent,  and  there  were  the  men  of  his 
escort  and  mine  mingled  together,  drinking  their  coffee,  and 

happy  as  soldiers  always  seem.    I  asked  B what  he  thought 

of  that,  and  he  admitted  that  I  had  the  best  of  the  argument. 
Before  I  dismissed  this  flag  of  truce,  his  companion  consulted 
me  confidentially  as  to  what  disposition  he  ought  to  make  of  his 
family,  then  in  Mobile,  and  I  frankly  gave  him  the  best  advice 
I  could. 

"While  we  were  thus  lying  idle  in  camp  on  the  Big  Black, 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  under  General  Rosecrans,  was 
moving  against  Bragg  at  Chattanooga ;  and  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio,  General  Burnside,  was  marching  toward  East  Tennessee. 
General  Rosecrans  was  so  confident  of  success  that  he  some 
what  scattered  his  command,  seemingly  to  surround  and  cap 
ture  Bragg  in  Chattanooga;  but  the  latter,  reenforced  from 
Virginia,  drew  out  of  Chattanooga,  concentrated  his  army  at 
Lafayette,  and  at  Chickamauga  fell  on  Rosecrans,  defeated 
him,  and  drove  him  into  Chattanooga.  The  whole  country 
seemed  paralyzed  by  this  unhappy  event ;  and  the  authorities  in 
"Washington  were  thoroughly  stampeded.  From  the  East  the 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  34.7 

Eleventh  Corps  (Slocum),  and  the  Twelfth  Corps  (Howard), 
were  sent  by  rail  to  Nashville,  and  forward  under  command  of 
General  Hooker ;  orders  were  also  sent  to  General  Grant,  by 
Halleck,  to  send  what  ree'nf  orcements  he  could  spare  immedi 
ately  toward  Chattanooga. 

Bragg  had  completely  driven  Rosecrans's  army  into  Chatta 
nooga;  the  latter  was  in  actual  danger  of  starvation,  and  the 
railroad  to  his  rear  seemed  inadequate  to  his  supply.  The  first 
intimation  which  I  got  of  this  disaster  was  on  the  22d  of  Sep 
tember,  by  an  order  from  General  Grant  to  dispatch  one  of  my 
divisions  immediately  into  Yicksburg,  to  go  toward  Chattanooga, 
and  I  designated  the  First,  General  Osterhaus — Steele  mean 
time  having  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Department 
of  Arkansas,  and  had  gone  to  Little  Bock.  General  Osterhaus 
marched  the  same  day,  and  on  the  23d  I  was  summoned  to 
Yicksburg  in  person,  where  General  Grant  showed  me  the 
alarming  dispatches  from  General  Halleck,  which  had  been  sent 
from  Memphis  by  General  Hurlbut,  and  said,  on  further 
thought,  that  he  would  send  me  and  my  whole  corps.  But,  inas 
much  as  one  division  of  McPherson's  corps  (John  E.  Smith's) 
had  already  started,  he  instructed  me  to  leave  one  of  my  di 
visions  on  the  Big  Black,  and  to  get  the  other  two  ready  to  fol 
low  at  once.  I  designated  the  Second,  then  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  Giles  A.  Smith,  and  the  Fourth,  commanded 
by  Brigadier-General  Corse. 

On  the  25th  I  returned  to  my  camp  on  Big  Black,  gave  all 
the  necessary  orders  for  these  divisions  to  move,  and  for  the 
Third  (Tuttle's)  to  remain,  and  went  into  Yicksburg  with  my 
family.  The  last  of  my  corps  designed  for  this  expedition 
started  from  camp  on  the  27th,  reached  Yicksburg  the  28th, 
and  were  embarked  on  boats  provided  for  them.  General 
Halleck's  dispatches  dwelt  upon  the  fact  that  General  Kose- 
crans's  routes  of  supply  were  overtaxed,  and  that  we  should 
move  from  Memphis  eastward,  repairing  railroads  as  we  pro 
gressed,  as  far  as  Athens,  Alabama,  whence  I  was  to  report  to 
General  Rosecrans,  at  Chattanooga,  by  letter. 

1  took  passage  for  myself  and  family  in  the  steamer  Atlan- 


348  CHATTANOOGA  AND  OTOXVILLE.  [1863. 

tic,  Captain  Henry  McDougall.  When  the  boat  was  ready  to 
start,  Willie  was  missing.  Mrs.  Sherman  supposed  him  to  have 
been  with  me,  whereas  I  supposed  he  was  with  her.  An  offi 
cer  of  the  Thirteenth  went  up  to  General  McPherson's  house 
for  him,  and  soon  returned,  with  Captain  Clift  leading  him, 
carrying  in  his  hands  a  small  double-barreled  shot-gun ;  and  I 
joked  him  about  carrying  away  captured  property.  In  a  short 
time  we  got  off.  As  we  all  stood  on  the  guards  to  look  at  our  old 
camps  at  Young's  Point,  I  remarked  that  Willie  was  not  well, 
and  he  admitted  that  he  was  sick.  His  mother  put  him  to  bed, 
and  consulted  Dr.  Holer,  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  who  found 
symptoms  of  typhoid  fever.  The  river  was  low ;  we  made  slow 
progress  till  above  Helena;  and,  as  we  approached  Memphis, 
Dr.  Holer  told  me  that  Willie's  life  was  in  danger,  and  he  was 
extremely  anxious  to  reach  Memphis  for  certain  medicines  and 
for  consultation.  We  arrived  at  Memphis  on  the  2d  of  October, 
carried  Willie  up  to  the  Gayoso  Hotel,  and  got  the  most  experi 
enced  physician  there,  who  acted  with  Dr.  Holer,  but  he  sank 
rapidly,  and  died  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  October.  The  blow 
was  a  terrible  one  to  us  all,  so  sudden  and  so  unexpected,  that 
I  could  not  help  reproaching  myself  for  having  consented  to  his 
visit  in  that  sickly  region  in  the  summer-time.  Of  all  my  chil 
dren,  he  seemed  the  most  precious.  Born  in  San  Francisco,  I 
had  watched  with  intense  interest  his  development,  and  he 
seemed  more  than  any  of  the  children  to  take  an  interest  in 
my  special  profession.  Mrs.  Sherman,  Minnie,  Lizzie,  and 
Tom,  were  with  him  at  the  time,  and  we  all,  helpless  and  over 
whelmed,  saw  him  die.  Being  in  the  very  midst  of  an  impor 
tant  military  enterprise,  I  had  hardly  time  to  pause  and  think 
of  my  personal  loss.  We  procured  a  metallic  casket,  and  had 
a  military  funeral,  the  battalion  of  the  Thirteenth  United  States 
Regulars  acting  as  escort  from  the  Gayoso  Hotel  to  the  steam 
boat  Grey  Eagle,  which  conveyed  him  and  my  family  up  to 
Cairo,  whence  they  proceeded  to  our  home  at  Lancaster,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  buried.  I  here  give  my  letter  to  Captain  C.  C. 
Smith,  who  commanded  the  battalion  at  the  time,  as  exhibiting 
our  intense  feelings : 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  349 


GATOSO  HOUSE,  MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE,  ) 
October  4, 1863 — Midnight.     J 


Captain  C.  C.  SMITH,  commanding  Battalion  Thirteenth  United  States 
Regulars. 

MY  DEAR  FBIEND  :  I  cannot  sleep  to-night  till  I  record  an  expression  of 
the  deep  feelings  of  my  heart  to  you,  and  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
hattalion,  for  their  kind  behavior  to  my  poor  child.  I  realize  that  you  all 
feel  for  my  family  the  attachment  of  kindred,  and  I  assure  you  of  full 
reciprocity. 

Consistent  with  a  sense  of  duty  to  my  profession  and  office,  I  could  not 
leave  my  post,  and  sent  for  the  family  to  come  to  me  in  that  fatal  climate, 
and  in  that  sickly  period  of  the  year,  and  behold  the  result !  The  child 
that  bore  my  name,  and  in  whose  future  I  reposed  with  more  confidence 
than  I  did  in  my  own  plan  of  life,  now  floats  a  mere  corpse,  seeking  a  grave 
in  a  distant  land,  with  a  weeping  mother,  brother,  and  sisters,  clustered 
about  him.  For  myself,  I  ask  no  sympathy.  On,  on  I  must  go,  to  meet  a 
soldier's  fate,  or  live  to  see  our  country  rise  superior  to  all  factions,  till  its 
flag  is  adored  and  respected  by  ourselves  and  by  all  the  powers  of  the  earth. 

But  Willie  was,  or  thought  he  was,  a  sergeant  in  the  Thirteenth.  I 
have  seen  his  eye  brighten,  his  heart  beat,  as  he  beheld  the  battalion  under 
arms,  and  asked  me  if  they  were  not  real  soldiers.  Child  as  he  was,  he  had 
the  enthusiasm,  the  pure  love  of  truth,  honor,  and  love  of  country,  which 
should  animate  all  soldiers. 

God  only  knows  why  he  should  die  thus  young.  He  is  dead,  but  will 
not  be  forgotten  till  those  who  knew  him  in  life  have  followed  him  to  that 
same  mysterious  end. 

Please  convey  to  the  battalion  my  heart-felt  thanks,  and  assure  each  and 
all  that  if  in  after-years  they  call  on  me  or  mine,  and  mention  that  they 
were  of  the  Thirteenth  Regulars  when  "Willie  was  a  sergeant,  they  will 
have  a  key  to  the  affections  of  my  family  that  will  open  all  it  has ;  that  we 
will  share  with  them  our  last  blanket,  our  last  crust !  Your  friend, 

"W.  T.  SHEBHAN",  Major- General. 

Long  afterward,  in  the  spring  of  1867,  we  had  his  body  dis 
interred  and  brought  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  is  now  buried  in  a 
beautiful  spot,  in  Calvary  Cemetery,  by  the  side  of  another 
child,  "  Charles,"  who  was  born  at  Lancaster,  in  the  summer  of 
1864,  died  early,  and  was  buried  at  Notre  Dame,  Indiana.  His 
body  was  transferred  at  the  same  time  to  the  same  spot.  Over 
Willie's  grave  is  erected  a  beautiful  marble  monument,  designed 
and  executed  by  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  that  battalion  which 
claimed  him  as  a  sergeant  and  comrade. 


350  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1863  Major-General  S.  A. 
Hurlbut  was  in  command  at  Memphis.  He  supplied  me  copies 
of  all  dispatches  from  Washington,  and  all  the  information  he 
possessed  of  the  events  about  Chattanooga.  Two  of  these  dis 
patches  cover  all  essential  points  : 

WASHINGTON  CITY,  September  15,  1863 — 5  p.  M. 
Major- General  S.  A.  HTTBLBTTT,  Memphis: 

All  the  troops  that  can  possibly  be  spared  in  "West  Tennessee  and  on  the 
Mississippi  River  should  be  sent  without  delay  to  assist  General  Eosecrans 
on  the  Tennessee  River. 

Urge  Sherman  to  act  with  all  possible  promptness. 

If  you  have  boats,  send  them  down  to  bring  up  his  troops. 

Information  just  received  indicates  that  a  part  of  Lee's  army  has  been 
sent  to  reenforce  Bragg. 

H.  W.  HALLECK,  General-in-Chief. 

WASHINGTON,  September  19,  1863 — 4  p.  M. 
Major- General  S.  A.  HTTRLBTJT,  Memphis^  Tennessee: 

Give  me  definite  information  of  the  number  of  troops  sent  toward 
Decatur,  and  where  they  are.  Also,  what  other  troops  are  to  follow,  and 
when. 

Has  any  thing  been  heard  from  the  troops  ordered  from  Yicksburg  ? 
No  efforts  must  be  spared  to  support  Resecrans's  right,  and  to  guard  the 
crossings  of  the  Tennessee  River. 

H.  "W.  HALLEOK,  General-in-Chief. 

My  special  orders  were  to  repair  the  Memphis  &  Charles 
ton  Railroad  eastward  as  I  progressed,  as  far  as  Athens,  Ala 
bama,  to  draw  supplies  by  that  route,  so  that,  on  reaching 
Athens,  we  should  not  be  dependent  on  the  roads  back  to  Nash 
ville,  already  overtaxed  by  the  demand  of  Eosecrans's  army. 

On  reaching  Memphis,  October  2d,  I  found  that  Osterhaus's 
division  had  already  gone  by  rail  as  far  as  Corinth,  and  that 
John  E.  Smith's  division  was  in  the  act  of  starting  by  cars. 
The  Second  Division,  then  commanded  by  Brigadier-General 
Giles  A.  Smith,  reached  Memphis  at  the  same  time  with  me ; 
and  the  Fourth  Division,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General 
John  M.  Corse,  arrived  a  day  or  two  after.  The  railroad  was  in 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXYILLE.  351 

fair  condition  as  far  as  Corinth,  ninety-six  miles,  but  the  road 
was  badly  stocked  with  locomotives  and  cars,  so  that  it  took 
until  the  9th  to  get  off  the  Second  Division,  when  I  gave  or 
ders  for  the  Fourth  Division  and  wagon-trains  to  march  by  the 
common  road. 

On  Sunday  morning,  October  llth,  with  a  special  train 
loaded  with  our  orderlies  and  clerks,  the  horses  of  our  staff,  the 
battalion  of  the  Thirteenth  United  States  Kegulars,  and  a  few 
officers  going  forward  to  join  their  commands,  among  them 
Brigadier-General  Hugh  Ewing,  I  started  for  Corinth. 

At  Germantown,  eight  miles,  we  passed  Corse's  division 
(Fourth)  on  the  march,  and  about  noon  the  train  ran  by  the 
depot  at  Colliersville,  twenty-six  miles  out.  I  was  in  the  rear 
car  with  my  staff,  dozing,  but  observed  the  train  slacking  speed 
and  stopping  about  half  a  mile  beyond  the  depot.  I  noticed 
some  soldiers  running  to  and  fro,  got  out  at  the  end  of  the  car, 
and  soon  Colonel  Anthony  (Sixty-sixth  Indiana),  who  com 
manded  the  post,  rode  up  and  said  that  his  pickets  had  just 
been  driven  in,  and  there  was  an  appearance  of  an  attack  by  a 
large  force  of  cavalry  coming  from  the  southeast.  I  ordered 
the  men  to  get  off  the  train,  to  form  on  the  knoll  near  the 
railroad-cut,  and  soon  observed  a  rebel  officer  riding  toward  us 
with  a  white  flag.  Colonel  Anthony  and  Colonel  Dayton  (one 
of  my  aides)  were  sent  to  meet  him,  and  to  keep  him  in  con 
versation  as  long  as  possible.  They  soon  returned,  saying  it 
was  the  adjutant  of  the  rebel  general  Chalmers,  who  demanded 
the  surrender  of  the  place.  I  instructed  them  to  return  and 
give  a  negative  answer,  but  to  delay  him  as  much  as  possible, 
so  as  to  give  us  time  for  preparation.  I  saw  Anthony,  Day 
ton,  and  the  rebel  bearer  of  the  flag,  in  conversation,  and  the 
latter  turn  his  horse  to  ride  back,  when  I  ordered  Colonel  Mc 
Coy  to  run  to  the  station,  and  get  a  message  over  the  wires  as 
quick  as  possible  to  Memphis  and  Germantown,  to  hurry  forward 
Corse's  division.  I  then  ordered  the  train  to  back  to  the  depot, 
and  drew  back  the  battalion  of  regulars  to  the  small  earth  re 
doubt  near  it.  The  depot-building  was  of  brick,  and  had  been 
punctured  with  loop-holes.  To  its  east,  about  two  hundred 


352  CHATTANOOGA  AKD  KXOXYILLE.  [1863. 

yards,  was  a  small  square  earthwork  or  fort,  into  which  were 
put  a  part  of  the  regulars  along  with  the  company  of  the  Sixty- 
sixth  Indiana  already  there.  The  rest  of  the  men  were  dis 
tributed  into  the  railroad-cut,  and  in  some  shallow  rifle-trenches 
near  the  depot.  ~We  had  hardly  made  these  preparations  when 
the  enemy  was  seen  forming  in  a  long  line  on  the  ridge  to  the 
south,  about  four  hundred  yards  off,  and  soon  after  two  parties 
of  cavalry  passed  the  railroad  on  both  sides  of  us,  cutting  the 
wires  and  tearing  up  some  rails.  Soon  they  opened  on  us  with 
artillery  (of  which  we  had  none),  and  their  men  were  dismount 
ing  and  preparing  to  assault.  To  the  south  of  us  was  an  ex 
tensive  cornfield,  with  the  corn  still  standing,  and  on  the  other 
side  was  the  town  of  Colliersville.  All  the  houses  near,  that 
could  give  shelter  to  the  enemy,  were  ordered  to  be  set  on  fire, 
and  the  men  were  instructed  to  keep  well  under  cover  and  to  re 
serve  their  fire  for  the  assault,  which  seemed  inevitable.  A  long 
line  of  rebel  skirmishers  came  down  through  the  cornfield,  and 
two  other  parties  approached  us  along  the  railroad  on  both  sides. 
In  the  fort  was  a  small  magazine  containing  some  cartridges. 
Lieutenant  James,  a  fine,  gallant  fellow,  who  was  ordnance-officer 
on  my  staff,  asked  leave  to  arm  the  orderlies  and  clerks  with 
some  muskets  which  he  had  found  in  the  depot,  to  which  I  con 
sented  ;  he  marched  them  into  the  magazine,  issued  cartridges, 
and  marched  back  to  the  depot  to  assist  in  its  defense.  After 
ward  he  came  to  me,  said  a  party  of  the  enemy  had  got  into  the 
woods  near  the  depot,  and  was  annoying  him,  and  he  wanted  to 
charge  and  drive  it  away.  I  advised  him  to  be  extremely  cau 
tious,  as  our  enemy  vastly  outnumbered  us,  and  had  every  ad 
vantage  in  position  and  artillery;  but  instructed  him,  if  they 
got  too  near,  he  might  make  a  sally.  Soon  after,  I  heard  a 
rapid  fire  in  that  quarter,  and  Lieutenant  James  was  brought 
in  on  a  stretcher,  with  a  ball  through  his  breast,  which  I  sup 
posed  to  be  fatal.1  The  enemy  closed  down  on  us  several  times, 

1  After  the  fight  we  sent  him  back  to  Memphis,  where  his  mother  and  father 
came  from  their  home  on  the  North  River  to  nurse  him.  Young  James  was  recov 
ering  from  his  wound,  but  was  afterward  killed  by  a  fall  from  his  horse,  near  his 
home,  when  riding  with  the  daughters  of  Mr.  Hamilton  Fish,  now  Secretary  of  State. 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  ZNOXVILLE.  353 

and  got  possession  of  the  rear  of  our  train,  from  which  they 
succeeded  in  getting  five  of  our  horses,  among  them  my  favorite 
mare  Dolly ;  but  our  men  were  cool  and  practised  shots  (with 
great  experience  acquired  at  Yicksburg),  and  drove  them  back. 
"With  their  artillery  they  knocked  to  pieces  our  locomotive  and 
several  of  the  cars,  and  set  fire  to  the  train ;  but  we  managed  to 
get  possession  again,  and  extinguished  the  fire.  Colonel  Auden- 
reid,  aide-de-camp,  was  provoked  to  find  that  his  valise  of  nice 
shirts  had  been  used  to  kindle  the  fire.  The  fighting  continued 
all  round  us  for  three  or  four  hours,  when  we  observed  signs 
of  drawing  off,  which  I  attributed  to  the  rightful  cause,  the 
rapid  approach  of  Corse's  division,  which  arrived  about  dark, 
having  marched  the  whole  distance  from  Memphis,  twenty-six 
miles,  on  the  double-quick.  The  next  day  we  repaired  damages 
to  the  railroad  and  locomotive,  and  went  on  to  Corinth. 

At  Corinth,  on  the  16th,  I  received  the  following  important 
dispatches : 

MEMPHIS,  October  14, 1863 — 11  A.  M. 

Arrived  this  morning.  "Will  be  off  in  a  few  hours.  My  orders  are  only 
to  go  to  Cairo,  and  report  from  there  hy  telegraph.  McPherson  will  be 
in  Canton  to-day.  He  will  remain  there  until  Sunday  or  Monday  next, 
and  reconnoitre  as  far  eastward  as  possible  with  cavalry,  in  the  mean  time. 

~U.  S.  GBANT,  Major- General. 

WASHINGTON,  October  14, 1863 — 1  p.  M. 
Major-  General  "W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Corinth : 

Yours  of  the  10th  is  received.  The  important  matter  to  be  attended  to 
is  that  of  supplies.  When  Eastport  can  be  reached  by  boats,  the  use  of  the 
railroad  can  be  dispensed  with ;  but  until  that  time  it  must  be  guarded  as 
far  as  used.  The  Kentucky  Eailroad  can  barely  supply  General  Kosecrans. 
All  these  matters  must  be  left  to  your  judgment  as  circumstances  may  arise. 
Should  the  enemy  be  so  strong  as  to  prevent  your  going  to  Athens,  or 
connecting  with  General  Eosecrans,  you  will  nevertheless  have  assisted 
him  greatly  by  drawing  away  a  part  of  the  enemy's  forces. 

H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major- General. 

On  the  18th,  with  my  staff  and  a  small  escort,  I  rode  forward 
to  Burnsville,  and  on  the  19th  to  luka,  where,  on  the  next  day, 
I  was  most  agreeably  surprised  to  hear  of  the  arrival  at  Eastport 
23 


354:  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

(only  ten  miles  off)  of  two  gunboats,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Phelps,  which  had  been  sent  up  the  Tennessee  River 
by  Admiral  Porter,  to  help  us. 

Satisfied  that,  to  reach  Athens  and  to  communicate  with  Gen 
eral  Rosecrans,  we  should  have  to  take  the  route  north  of  the 
Tennessee  River,  on  the  24:th  I  ordered  the  Fourth  Division  to 
cross  at  Eastport  with  the  aid  of  the  gunboats,  and  to  move  to 
Florence.  About  the  same  time,  I  received  the  general  orders 
assigning  General  Grant  to  command  the  Military  Division  of 
the  Mississippi,  authorizing  him,  on  reaching  Chattanooga,  to 
supersede  General  Rosecrans  by  General  George  H.  Thomas, 
with  other  and  complete  authorit  ,  as  set  forth  in  the  following 
letters  of  General  Halleck,  which  were  sent  to  me  by  General 
Grant ;  and  the  same  orders  devolved  on  me  the  command  of 
the  Department  and  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY,         £ 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  October  16,  1863.  ) 

Major- General  U.  S.  GBANT,  Louisville. 

GENEBAL  :  You  will  receive  herewith  the  orders  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  placing  you  in  command  of  the  Departments  of  the  Ohio, 
Cumberland,  and  Tennessee.  The  organization  of  these  departments  will 
be  changed  as  you  may  deem  most  practicable.  You  will  immediately  pro 
ceed  to  Chattanooga,  and  relieve  General  Eosecrans.  You  can  communi 
cate  with  Generals  Burnside  and  Sherman  by  telegraph.  A  summary  of 
the  orders  sent  to  these  officers  will  be  sent  to  you  immediately.  It  is  left 
optional  with  you  to  supersede  General  Rosecrans  by  General  G.  H.  Thomas 
or  not.  Any  other  changes  will  be  made  on  your  request  by  telegram. 

One  of  the  first  objects  requiring  your  attention  is  the  supply  of  your 
armies.  Another  is  the  security  of  the  passes  in  the  Georgia  mountains, 
to  shut  out  the  enemy  from  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  You  will  consult 
with  General  Meigs  and  Colonel  Scott  in  regard  to  transportation  and  sup 
plies. 

Should  circumstances  permit,  I  will  visit  you  personally  in  a  few  days 
for  consultation. 

II.  "VV.  HALLEOK,  General-in-Chief. 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMV,         | 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  October  20,  1863.  ) 
Major- General  GEANT,  Louisville. 

GENERAL  :  In  compliance  with  my  promise,  I  now  proceed  to  give  you 


CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  355 

a  brief  statement  of  the  objects  aimed  at  by  General  Rosecrans  and  Gen 
eral  Bur.nside's  movement  into  East  Tennessee,  and  of  tbe  measures  directed 
to  be  taken  to  attain  these  objects. 

It  has  been  the  constant  desire  of  the  government,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  war,  to  rescue  the  loyal  inhabitants  of  East  Tennessee  from  the 
hands  of  the  rebels,  who  fully  appreciated  the  importance  of  continuing 
their  hold  upon  that  country.  In  addition  to  the  large  amount  of  agricult 
ural  products  drawn  from  the  upper  valley  of  the  Tennessee,  they  also 
obtained  iron  ar  d  other  materials  from  the  vicinity  of  Chattanooga.  The 
possession  of  Eai.t  Tennessee  would  cut  off  one  of  their  most  important  rail 
road  communications,  and  threaten  their  manufactories  at  Rome,  Atlanta, 
etc. 

"When  General  Buell  was  ordered  into  East  Tennessee  in  the  summer  of 
1862,  Chattanooga  was  comparatively  unprotected;  but  Bragg  reached 
there  before  Buell,  and,  by  threatening  his  communications,  forced  him  to 
retreat  on  Nashville  and  Louisville.  Again,  after  the  battle  of  Perryville, . 
General  Buell  was  urged  to  pursue  Bragg's  defeated  army,  and  drive  it  from 
East  Tennessee.  The  same  was  urged  upon  his  successor,  but  the  lateness 
of  the  season  or  other  causes  prevented  further  operations  after  the  battle 
of  Stone  River. 

Last  spring,  when  your  movements  on  the  Mississippi  River  had  drawn 
out  of  Tennessee  a  large  force  of  the  enemy,  I  again  urged  General  Rose 
crans  to  take  advantage  of  that  opportunity  to  carry  out  his  projected  plan 
of  campaign,  General  Burnside  being  ready  to  cooperate,  with  a  diminished 
but  still  efficient  force.  But  he  could  not  be  persuaded  to  act  in  time,  pre 
ferring  to  lie  still  till  your  campaign  should  be  terminated.  I  represented 
to  him,  but  without  avail,  that  by  this  delay  Johnston  might  be  able  to 
reenforce  Bragg  with  the  troops  then  operating  against  you. 

"When  General  Rosecrans  finally  determined  to  advance,  he  was  allowed 
to  select  his  own  lines  and  plans  for  carrying  out  the  objects  of  the  expedi 
tion.  He  was  directed,  however,  to  report  his  movements  daily,  till  he 
crossed  the  Tennessee,  and  to  connect  his  left,  so  far  as  possible,  with  Gen 
eral  Burnside's  right.  General  Burnside  was  directed  to  move  simultane 
ously,  connecting  his  right,  as  far  as  possible,  with  General  Rosecrans's  left, 
so  that,  if  the  enemy  concentrated  upon  either  army,  the  other  could  move 
to  its  assistance.  When  General  Burnside  reached  Kingston  and  Knoxville, 
and  found  no  considerable  number  of  the  enemy  in  East  Tennessee,  he  was 
instructed  to  move  down  the  river  and  cooperate  with  General  Rosecrans. 

These  instructions  were  repeated  some  fifteen  times,  but  were  not  car 
ried  out,  General  Burnside  alleging  as  an  excuse  that  he  believed  that 
Bragg  was  in  retreat,  and  that  General  Rosecrans  needed  no  reenforce- 
ments.  "When  the  latter  had  gained  possession  of  Chattanooga  he  was  di 
rected  not  to  move  on  Rome  as  he  proposed,  but  simply  to  hold  the  moun- 


356  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [\863. 

tain-passes,  so  as  to  prevent  the  ingress  of  the  rebels  into  East  Tennessee. 
That  object  accomplished,  I  considered  the  campaign  as  ended,  at  least  for 
the  present.  Future  operations  would  depend  upon  the  ascertained  strength 
and  movements  of  the  enemy.  In  other  words,  the  mam  objects  of  the 
campaign  were  the  restoration  of  East  Tennessee  to  the  Union,  and  by 
holding  the  two  extremities  of  the  valley  to  secure  it  from  rebel  invasion. 

The  moment  I  received  reliable  information  of  the  depai  cure  of  Long- 
street's  corps  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  I  ordered  forv  ard  to  General 
Rosecrans  every  available  man  in  the  Department  of  the  Ohio,  and  again 
nrged  General  Burnside  to  move  to  his  assistance.  I  also  telegraphed  to 
Generals  Hurlbut,  Sherman,  and  yourself,  to  send  forwiird  all  available 
troops  in  your  department.  If  these  forces  had  been  sent  to  General 
Rosecrans  by  Nashville,  they  could  not  have  been  supplied ;  I  therefore  di 
rected  them  to  move  by  Corinth  and  the  Tennessee  River.  The  necessity 
of  this  has  been  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  reinforcements  sent  to  him  from 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  have  not  been  able,  for  the  want  of  railroad  trans 
portation,  to  reach  General  Rosecrans's  army  in  the  field. 

In  regard  to  the  relative  strength  of  the  opposing  armies,  it  is  believed 
that  General  Rosecrans  when  he  first  moved  against  Bragg  had  double,  if 
not  treble,  his  force.  General  Burnside,  also,  had  more  than  double  the 
force  of  Buckner ;  and,  even  when  Bragg  and  Buckner  united,  Rosecrans's 
army  was  very  greatly  superior  in  number.  Even  the  eighteen  thousand 
men  sent  from  Virginia,  tinder  Longstreet,  would  not  have  given  the  enemy 
the  superiority.  It  is  now  ascertained  that  the  greater  part  of  the  prisoners 
parolled  by  you  at  Vicksburg,  and  General  Banks  at  Port  Hudson,  were 
illegally  and  improperly  declared  exchanged,  and  forced  into  the  ranks  to 
swell  the  rebel  numbers  at  Chickamauga.  This  outrageous  act,  in  viola 
tion  of  the  laws  of  war,  of  the  cartel  entered  into  by  the  rebel  authorities, 
and  of  all  sense  of  honor,  gives  us  a  useful  lesson  in  regard  to  the  character 
of  the  enemy  with  whom  we  are  contending.  He  neither  regards  the  rules 
of  civilized  warfare,  nor  even  his  most  solemn  engagements.  You  may, 
therefore,  expect  to  meet  in  arms  thousands  of  unexchanged  prisoners  re 
leased  by  you  and  others  on  parole,  not  to  serve  again  till  duly  exchanged. 

Although  the  enemy  by  this  disgraceful  means  has  been  able  to  concen 
trate  in  Georgia  and  Alabama  a  much  larger  force  than  we  anticipated,  your 
armies  will  be  abundantly  able  to  defeat  him.  Your  difficulty  will  not  be 
in  the  want  of  men,  but  in  the  means  of  supplying  them  at  this  season  of 
the  year.  A  single-track  railroad  can  supply  an  army  of  sixty  or  seventy 
thousand  men,  with  the  usual  number  of  cavalry  and  artillery ;  but  beyond 
that  number,  or  with  a  large  mounted  force,  the  difficulty  of  supply  is  very 
great. 

I  do  not  know  the  present  condition  of  the  road  from  Nashville  to  De- 
catur,  but,  if  practicable  to  repair  it,  the  use  of  that  triangle  will  be  of 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  357 

great  assistance  to  you.  I  hope,  also,  that  the  recent  rise  of  water  in  the 
Cumberland  and  Tennessee  Kivers  will  enable  you  to  employ  water  trans 
portation  to  Nashville,  Eastport,  or  Florence. 

If  you  reoccupy  the  passes  of  Lookout  Mountain,  which  should  never 
have  been  given  up,  you  will  be  able  to  use  the  railroad  and  river  from 
Bridgeport  to  Chattanooga.  This  seems  to  me  a  matter  of  vital  importance, 
and  should  receive  your  early  attention. 

I  submit  this  summary  in  the  hope  that  it  will  assist  you  in  fully  under 
standing  the  objects  of  the  campaign,  and  the  means  of  attaining  these  ob 
jects.  Probably  the  Secretary  of  War,  in  his  interviews  with  you  at  Louis 
ville,  has  gone  over  the  same  ground. 

Whatever  measures  you  may  deem  proper  to  adopt  under  existing  cir 
cumstances,  you  will  receive  all  possible  assistance  from  the  authorities  at 
Washington.  You  have  never,  heretofore,  complained  that  such  assistance 
has  not  been  afforded  you  in  your  operations,  and  I  think  you  will  have  no 
cause  of  complaint  in  your  present  campaign.  Very  respectfully,  your  obe 
dient  servant,  H.  W.  HALLEOK,  General-in-  Chief. 

General  Frank  P.  Blair,  who  was  then  ahead  with  the  two 
divisions  of  Osterhaus  and  John  E.  Smith,  was  temporarily  as 
signed  to  the  command  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps.  General  Hurl- 
but  remained  at  Memphis  in  command  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps, 
and  General  McPherson  at  Vicksburg  with  'the  Seventeenth. 
These  three  corps  made  up  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

I  was  still  busy  in  pushing  forward  the  repairs  to  the  rail 
road-bridge  at  Bear  Creek,  and  in  patching  up  the  many  breaks 
between  it  and  Tuscumbia,  when  on  the  27th  of  October,  as  I  sat 
on  the  porch  of  a  house,  I  was  approached  by  a  dirty,  black- 
haired  individual  with  mixed  dress  and  strange  demeanor,  who 
inquired  for  me,  and,  on  being  assured  that  I  was  in  fact  the 
man,  he  handed  me  a  letter  from  General  Blair  at  Tuscumbia, 
and  another  short  one,  which  was  a  telegraph-message  from 
General  Grant  at  Chattanooga,  addressed  to  me  through  General 
George  Crook,  commanding  at  Huntsville,  Alabama,  to  this 
effect : 

Drop  all  work  on  Memphis  &  Charleston  Eailroad,  cross  the  Tennessee, 
and  hurry  eastward  with  all  possible  dispatch  toward  Bridgeport,  till  you 
meet  further  orders  from  me.  TL  S.  GBANT. 

The  bearer  of  this  message  was  Corporal  Pike,  who  de- 


358  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

scribed  to  me,  in  his  peculiar  way,  that  General  Crook  had 
sent  him  in  a  canoe ;  that  he  had  paddled  down  the  Tennessee 
River,  over  Muscle  Shoals,  was  fired  at  all  the  way  by  guerrillas, 
but  on  reaching  Tuscumbia  he  had  providentially  found  it  in 
possession  of  our  troops.  He  had  reported  to  General  Blair, 
who  sent  him  on  to  me  at  luka.  This  Pike  proved  to  be  a 
singular  character ;  his  manner  attracted  my  notice  at  once,  and 
I  got  him  a  horse,  and  had  him  travel  with  us  eastward  to 
about  Elkton,  whence  I  sent  him  back  to  General  Crook  at 
Huntsville ;  but  told  him,  if  I  could  ever  do  him  a  personal 
service,  he  might  apply  to  me.  The  next  spring  when  I  was  in 
Chattanooga,  preparing  for  the  Atlanta  campaign,  Corporal  Pike 
made  his  appearance  and  asked  a  fulfillment  of  my  promise.  I 
inquired  what  he  wanted,  and  he  said  he  wanted  to  do  some 
thing  bold,  something  that  would  make  him  a  hero.  I  explained 
to  him,  that  we  were  getting  ready  to  go  for  Joe  Johnston  at 
Dalton,  that  I  expected  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  Atlanta 
about  the  4th  of  July,  and  wanted  the  bridge  across  the  Savan 
nah  River  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  to  be  burnt  about  that  time,  to 
produce  alarm  and  confusion  behind  the  rebel  army.  I  ex 
plained  to  Pike  that  the  chances  were  three  to  one  that  he 
would  be  caught  and  hanged ;  but  the  greater  the  danger  the 
greater  seemed  to  be  his  desire  to  attempt  it.  I  told  him  to 
select  a  companion,  to  disguise  himself  as  an  East  Tennessee 
refugee,  work  his  way  over  the  mountains  into  North  Carolina, 
and  at  the  time  appointed  to  float  down  the  Savannah  River 
and  burn  that  bridge.  In  a  few  days  he  had  made  his  prepara 
tions  and  took  his  departure.  The  bridge  was  not  burnt,  and 
I  supposed  that  Pike  had  been  caught  and  hanged. 

When  we  reached  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  in  February, 
1865,  just  as  we  were  leaving  the  town,  in  passing  near  the 
asylum,  I  heard  my  name  called,  and  saw  a  very  dirty  fellow 
followed  by  a  file  of  men  running  toward  me,  and  as  they  got 
near  I  recognized  Pike.  He  called  to  me  to  identify  him  as 
one  of  my  men ;  he  was  then  a  prisoner  under  guard,  and  I  in 
structed  the  guard  to  bring  him  that  night  to  my  camp  some 
fifteen  miles  up  the  road,  which  was  done.  Pike  gave  me  a 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE. 

graphic  narrative  of  his  adventures,  which  would  have  filled  a 
volume ;  told  me  how  he  had  made  two  attempts  to  burn  the 
bridge,  and  failed ;  and  said  that  at  the  time  of  our  entering 
Columbia  he  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  under 
trial  for  his  life,  but  in  the  confusion  of  their  retreat  he  made 
his  escape  and  got  into  our  lines,  where  he  was  again  made 
a  prisoner  by  our  troops  because  of  his  looks.  Pike  got  some 
clothes,  cleaned  up,  and  I  used  him  afterward  to  communicate 
with  Wilmington,  North  Carolina.  Some  time  after  the  war, 
he  was  appointed  a  lieutenant  of  the  Regular  Cavalry,  and  was 
killed  in  Oregon,  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  pistol.  Just 
before  his  death  he  wrote  me,  saying  that  he  was  tired  of  the 
monotony  of  garrison-life,  and  wanted  to  turn  Indian,  join  the 
Cheyennes  on  the  Plains,  who  were  then  giving  us  great  trouble, 
and,  after  he  had  gained  their  confidence,  he  would  betray  them 
into  our  hands.  Of  course  I  wrote  him  that  he  must  try  and 
settle  down  and  become  a  gentleman  as  well  as  an  officer,  apply 
himself  to  his  duties,  and  forget  the  wild  desires  of  his  nature, 
which  were  well  enough  in  time  of  war,  but  not  suited  to  his 
new  condition  as  an  officer;  but,  poor  fellow!  he  was  killed 
by  an  accident,  which  probably  saved  him  from  a  slower  but 
harder  fate. 

At  luka  I  issued  all  the  orders  to  McPherson  and  Hurlbut 
necessary  for  the  Department  of  the  Tennessee  during  my 
absence,  and,  further,  ordered  the  collection  of  a  force  out  of 
the  Sixteenth  Corps,  of  about  eight  thousand  men,  to  be  com 
manded  by  General  G.  M.  Dodge,  with  orders  to  follow  as  far 
east  as  Athens,  Tennessee,  there  to  await  instructions.  We 
instantly  discontinued  all  attempts  to  repair  the  .  Charleston 
Railroad;  and  the  remaining  three  divisions  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  marched  to  Eastport,  crossed  the  Tennessee  River  by  the 
aid  of  the  gunboats,  a  ferry-boat,  and  a  couple  of  transports 
which  -had  come  up,  and  hurried  eastward. 

In  person  I  crossed  on  the  1st  of  November,  and  rode  for 
ward  to  Florence,  where  I  overtook  Swing's  division.  The  other 
divisions  followed  rapidly.  On  the  road  to  Florence  I  was  ac 
companied  by  my  staff,  some  clerks,  and  mounted  orderlies. 


360  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

Major  Ezra  Taylor  was  chief  of  artillery,  and  one  of  his  sons 
was  a  clerk  at  headquarters.  The  latter  seems  to  have  dropped 
out  of  the  column,  and  gone  to  a  farm-house  near  the  road. 
There  was  no  organized  force  of  the  rebel  army  north  of  the 
Tennessee  River,  but  the  country  was  full  of  guerrillas.  A  party 
of  these  pounced  down  on  the  farm,  caught  young  Taylor  and 
another  of  the  clerks,  and  after  reaching  Florence,  Major  Tay 
lor  heard  of  the  capture  of  his  son,  and  learned  that  when  last 
seen  he  was  stripped  of  his  hat  and  coat,  was  tied  to  the  tail 
board  of  a  wagon,  and  driven  rapidly  to  the  north  of  the  road 
we  had  traveled.  The  major  appealed  to  me  to  do  something 
for  his  rescue.  I  had  no  cavalry  to  send  in  pursuit,  but  know 
ing  that  there  was  always  an  understanding  between  these 
guerrillas  and  their  friends  who  staid  at  home,  I  sent  for  three 
or  four  of  the  principal  men  of  Florence  (among  them  a  Mr. 
Foster,  who  had  once  been  a  Senator  in  Congress),  explained  to 
them  the  capture  of  young  Taylor  and  his  comrade,  and  de 
manded  their  immediate  restoration.  They,  of  course,  remon 
strated,  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  acts  of  these  guerrillas,  and 
claimed  to  be  peaceful  citizens  of  Alabama,  residing  at  home.  I 
insisted  that  these  guerrillas  were  their  own  sons  and  neighbors; 
that  they  knew  their  haunts,  and  could  reach  them  if  they 
wanted,  and  they  could  effect  the  restoration  to  us  of  these  men ; 
and  I  said,  moreover,  they  must  do  it  within  twenty-four  hours, 
or  I  would  take  them,  strip  them  of  their  hats  and  coats,  and  tie 
them  to  the  tail-boards  of  our  wagons  till  they  were  produced. 
They  sent  off  messengers  at  once,  and  young  Taylor  and  his 
comrade  were  brought  back  the  next  day. 

Resuming  our  march  eastward  by  the  large  road,  we  soon 
reached  Elk  River,  which  was  wide  and  deep,  and  could  only  be 
crossed  by  a  ferry,  a  process  entirely  too  slow  for  the  occasion ; 
so  I  changed  the  route  more  by  the  north,  to  Elkton,  "Winchester, 
and  Deckerd.  At  this  point  we  came  in  communication  with 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  by  telegraph  with  General 
Grant,  who  was  at  Chattanooga.  He  reiterated  his  orders  for  me 
and  my  command  to  hurry  forward  with  all  possible  dispatch,  and 
in  person  I  reached  Bridgeport  during  the  night  of  November 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXYILLE.  361 

13th,  my  troops  following  behind  by  several  roads.  At  Bridge 
port  I  found  a  garrison  guarding  the  railroad-bridge  and  pon 
toon-bridge  there,  and  staid  with  the  quartermaster,  Colonel 
"William  G.  Le  Due  (who  was  my  school-mate  at  How's  School 
in  1836).  There  I  received  a  dispatch  from  General  Grant,  at 
Chattanooga,  to  come  up  in  person,  leaving  my  troops  to  follow 
as  fast  as  possible.  At  that  tune  there  were  two  or  three  small 
steamboats  on  the  river,  engaged  in  carrying  stores  up  as  far  as 
Kelly's  Ferry.  In  one  of  these  I  took  passage,  and  on  reaching 
Kelly's  Terry  found  orderlies,  with  one  of  General  Grant's  pri 
vate  horses,  waiting  for  me,  on  which  I  rode  into  Chattanooga, 
November  14th.  Of  course,  I  was  heartily  welcomed  by  Gen 
erals  Grant,  Thomas,  and  all,  who  realized  the  extraordinary 
efforts  we  had  made  to  come  to  their  relief. 

The  next  morning  we  walked  out  to  Fort  "Wood,  a  prom 
inent  salient  of  the  defenses  of  the  place,  and  from  its  parapet 
we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  panorama.  Lookout  Moun 
tain,  with  its  rebel  flags  and  batteries,  stood  out  boldly,  and  an 
occasional  shot  fired  toward  Wauhatchee  or  Moccasin  Point  gave 
life  to  the  scene.  These  shots  could  barely  reach  Chattanooga, 
and  I  was  told  that  one  or  more  shot  had  struck  a  hospital  inside 
the  lines.  All  along  Missionary  Bidge  were  the  tents  of  the 
rebel  beleaguering  force ;  the  lines  of  trench  from  Lookout  up 
toward  the  Chickamauga  were  plainly  visible ;  and  rebel  senti 
nels,  in  a  continuous  chain,  were  walking  their  posts  in  plain 
view,  not  a  thousand  yards  off.  "  Why,"  said  I,  "  General 
Grant,  you  are  besieged ; "  and  he  said,  "  It  is  too  true."  Up 
to  that  moment  I  had  no  idea  that  things  were  so  bad.  The 
rebel  lines  actually  extended  from  the  river,  below  the  town,  to 
the  river  above,  and  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  closely 
held  to  the  town  and  its  immediate  defenses.  General  Grant 
pointed  out  to  me  a  house  on  Missionary  Ridge,  where  General 
Bragg's  headquarters  were  known  to  be.  He  also  explained 
the  situation  of  affairs  generally ;  that  the  mules  and  horses  of 
Thomas's  army  were  so  starved  that  they  could  not  haul  his 
guns ;  that  forage,  corn,  and  provisions,  were  so  scarce  that  the 
men  in  hunger  stole  the  few  grains  of  corn  that  were  given  to 


362  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

favorite  horses ;  that  the  men  of  Thomas's  army  had  been  so 
demoralized  by  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  that  he  feared  they 
could  not  be  got  out  of  their  trenches  to  assume  the  offensive ; 
that  Bragg  had  detached  Longstreet  with  a  considerable  force 
up  into  East  Tennessee,  to  defeat  and  capture  Burnside ;  that 
Burnside  was  in  danger,  etc. ;  and  that  he  (Grant)  was  ex 
tremely  anxious  to  attack  Bragg  in  position,  to  defeat  him,  or 
at  least  to  force  him  to  recall  Longstreet.  The  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  had  so  long  been  in  the  trenches  that  he  wanted 
my  troops  to  hurry  up,  to  take  the  offensive  first  /  after  which, 
he  had  no  doubt  the  Cumberland  army  would  fight  well.  Mean 
time  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps,  under  General  Hooker, 
had  been  advanced  from  Bridgeport  along  the  railroad  to  Wau- 
hatchee,  but  could  not  as  yet  pass  Lookout  Mountain.  A  pon 
toon-bridge  had  been  thrown  across  the  Tennessee  River  at 
Brown's  Ferry,  by  which  supplies  were  hauled  into  Chattanooga 
from  Kelly's  and  "Wauhatchee. 

Another  bridge  was  in  course  of  construction  at  Chattanooga, 
under  the  immediate  direction  of  Quartermaster-General  Meigs, 
but  at  the  time  all  wagons,  etc.,  had  to  be  ferried  across  by  a  fly 
ing-bridge.  Men  were  busy  and  hard  at  work  everywhere  in 
side  our  lines,  and  boats  for  another  pontoon-bridge  were  being 
rapidly  constructed  under  Brigadier-General  "W.  F.  Smith,  famil 
iarly  known  as  "  Baldy  Smith,"  and  this  bridge  was  destined  to  be 
used  by  my  troops,  at  a  point  of  the  river  about  four  miles  above 
Chattanooga,  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Chickamauga  River. 
General  Grant  explained  to  me  that  he  had  reconnoitred  the  rebel 
line  from  Lookout  Mountain  up  to  Chickamauga,  and  he  believed 
that  the  northern  portion  of  Missionary  Ridge  was  not  fortified 
at  all ;  and  he  wanted  me,  as  soon  as  my  troops  got  up,  to  lay  the 
new  pontoon-bridge  by  night,  cross  over,  and  attack  Bragg's 
right  flank  on  that  part  of  the  ridge  abutting  on  Chickamauga 
Creek,  near  the  tunnel ;  and  he  proposed  that  we  should  go  at 
once  to  look  at  the  ground.  In  company  with  Generals  Thomas, 
W.  F.  Smith,  Brannan,  and  others,  we  crossed  by  the  flying- 
bridge,  rode  back  of  the  hills  some  four  miles,  left  our  horses, 
and  got  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  whole  ground  about  the 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  3^3 

mouth  of  the  Chickamauga  River,  and  across  to  the  Missionary- 
Hills  near  the  tunnel.  Smith  and  I  crept  down  behind  a  fringe 
of  trees  that  lined  the  river-bank,  to  the  very  point  selected  for 
the  new  bridge,  where  we  sat  for  some  time,  seeing  the  rebel 
pickets  on  the  opposite  bank,  and  almost  hearing  their  words. 

Having  seen  enough,  we  returned  to  Chattanooga;  and  in 
order  to  hurry  up  my  command,  on  which  so  much  depended,  I 
started  back  to  Kelly's  in  hopes  to  catch  the  steamboat  that  same 
evening ;  but  on  my  arrival  the  boat  had  gone.  I  applied  to  the 
commanding  officer,  got  a  rough  boat  manned  by  four  soldiers, 
and  started  down  the  river  by  night.  I  occasionally  took  a  turn 
at  the  oars  to  relieve  some  tired  man,  and  about  midnight  we 
reached  Shell  Mound,  where  General  "WTiittaker,  of  Kentucky, 
furnished  us  a  new  and  good  crew,  with  which  we  reached 
Bridgeport  by  daylight.  I  started  E  wing's  division  in  advance, 
with  orders  to  turn  aside  toward  Trenton,  to  make  the  enemy 
believe  we  were  going  to  turn  Bragg5  s  left  by  pretty  much  the 
same  road  Rosecrans  had  followed;  but  with  the  other  three 
divisions  I  followed  the  main  road,  via  the  Big  Trestle  at  White- 
sides,  and  reached  General  Hooker's  headquarters,  just  above 
Wauhatchee,  on  the  20th ;  my  troops  strung  all  the  way  back 
to  Bridgeport.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  the  Fifteenth  Corps 
gamed  its  peculiar  badge :  as  the  men  were  trudging  along  the 
deeply-cut,  muddy  road,  of  a  cold,  drizzly  day,  one  of  our  "West 
ern  soldiers  left  his  ranks  and  joined  a  party  of  the  Twelfth 
Corps  at  their  camp-fire.  They  got  into  conversation,  the 
Twelfth- Corps  men  asking  what  troops  we  were,  etc.,  etc.  In 
turn,  our  fellow  (who  had  never  seen  a  corps-badge,  and  noticed 
that  every  thing  was  marked  with  a  star)  asked  if  they  were  all 
brigadier-generals.  Of  course  they  were  ndt,  but  the  star  was 
their  corps-badge,  and  every  wagon,  tent,  hat,  etc.,  had  its  star. 
Then  the  Twelfth-Corps  men  inquired  what  corps  he  belonged 
to,  and  he  answered,  "  The  Fifteenth  Corps."  "  "WTiat  is  your 
badge  ? "  "  Why,"  said  he  (and  he  was  an  Irishman),  suiting 
the  action  to  the  word,  "forty  rounds  in  the  cartridge-box, 
and  twenty  in  the  pocket ! "  At  that  time  Blair  commanded 
the  corps;  but  Logan  succeeded  soon  after,  and,  hearing  the 


364  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

story,  adopted  the  cartridge-box  and  forty  rounds  as  the  corps- 
badge. 

The  condition  of  the  roads  was  such,  and  the  bridge  at 
Brown's  so  frail,  that  it  was  not  until  the  23d  that  we  got  three 
of  my  divisions  behind  the  hills  near  the  point  indicated  above 
Chattanooga  for  crossing  the  river.  It  was  determined  to  be 
gin  the  battle  with  these  three  divisions,  aided  by  a  division  of 
Thomas's  army,  commanded  by  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  that  was 
already  near  that  point.  All  the  details  of  the  battle  of  Chatta 
nooga,  so  far  as  I  was  a  witness,  are  so  fully  given  in  my  offi 
cial  report  herewith,  that  I  need  add  nothing  to  it.  It  was  a 
magnificent  battle  in  its  conception,  in  its  execution,  and  in  its 
glorious  results ;  hastened  somewhat  by  the  supposed  danger  of 
Burnside,  at  Knoxville,  yet  so  completely  successful,  that  noth 
ing  is  left  for  cavil  or  fault-finding.  The  first  day  was  lowering 
and  overcast,  favoring  us  greatly,  because  we  wanted  to  be  con 
cealed  from  Bragg,  whose  position  on  the  mountain-tops  com 
pletely  overlooked  us  and  our  movements.  The  second  day 
was  beautifully  clear,  and  many  a  time,  in  the  midst  of  its  car 
nage  and  noise,  I  could  not  help  stopping  to  look  across  that 
vast  field  of  battle,  to  admire  its  sublimity. 

The  object  of  General  Hooker's  and  my  attacks  on  the  ex 
treme  flanks  of  Bragg's  position  was,  to  disturb  him  to  such  an 
extent,  that  he  would  naturally  detach  from  his  centre  as  against 
us,  so  that  Thomas's  army  could  break  through  his  centre.  The 
whole  plan  succeeded  admirably ;  but  it  was  not  until  after  dark 
that  I  learned  the  complete  success  at  the  centre,  and  received 
General  Grant's  orders  to  pursue  on  the  north  side  of  Chicka- 

mauga  Creek, 

i 

HEADQUARTERS  MILITARY  DIVISION  or  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
CHATTANOOGA,  TENNESSEE,  November  25, 1863.      j 
Major- General  SHERMAN. 

GENERAL  :  No  doubt  you  witnessed  the  handsome  manner  in  which 
Thomas's  troops  carried  Missionary  Ridge  this  afternoon,  and  can  feel  a  just 
pride,  too,  in  the  part  taken  by  the  forces  under  your  command  in  taking 
first  so  much  of  the  same  range  of  hills,  and  then  in  attracting  the  attention 
of  so  many  of  the  enemy  as  to  make  Thomas's  part  certain  of  success.  The 
next  thing  now  will  be  to  relieve  Burnside.  I  have  heard  from  him  to  the 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  365 

evening  of  the  23d.    At  that  time  he  had  from  ten  to  twelve  days'  supplies, 
and  spoke  hopefully  of  being  able  to  hold  out  that  length  of  time. 

My  plan  is  to  move  your  forces  out  gradually  until  they  reach  the  rail 
road  between  Cleveland  and  Dalton.  Granger  will  move  up  the  south  side 
of  the  Tennessee  with  a  column  of  twenty  thousand  men,  taking  no  wagons, 
or  but  few,  with  him.  His  men  will  carry  four  days'  rations,  and  the  steamer 
Chattanooga,  loaded  with  rations,  will  accompany  the  expedition. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  Bragg's  entire  force  has  left.  If  not,  of  course, 
the  first  thing  is  to  dispose  of  him.  If  he  has  gone,  the  only  thing  neces 
sary  to  do  to-morrow  will  be  to  send  out  a  reconnoissance  to  ascertain  the 
whereabouts  of  the  enemy.  Yours  truly, 

TJ.  S.  GBANT,  Major-  General. 

P.  S. — On  reflection,  I  think  we  will  push  Bragg  with  all  our  strength 
to-morrow,  and  try  if  we  cannot  cut  off  a  good  portion  of  his  rear  troops 
and  trains.  His  men  have  manifested  a  strong  disposition  to  desert  for 
some  time  past,  and  we  will  now  give  them  a  chance.  I  will  instruct 
Thomas  accordingly.  Move  the  advance  force  early,  on  the  most  easterly 
road  taken  by  the  enemy.  IT.  S.  G. 

This  compelled  me  to  reverse  our  column,  so  as  to  use  the 
bridge  across  the  Chickamauga  at  its  mouth.  The  next  day 
we  struck  the  rebel  rear  at  Chickamauga  Station,  and  again  near 
Graysville.  There  we  came  in  contact  with  Hooker's  and 
Palmer's  troops,  who  had  reached  Ringgold.  There  I  detached 
Howard  to  cross  Taylor's  Ridge,  and  strike  the  railroad  which 
comes  from  the  north  by  Cleveland  to  Dalton.  Hooker's  troops 
were  roughly  handled  at  Ringgold,  and  the  pursuit  was  checked. 
Receiving  a  note  from  General  Hooker,  asking  help,  I  rode  for 
ward  to  Ringgold  to  explain  the  movement  of  Howard ;  where 
I  met  General  Grant,  and  learned  that  the  rebels  had  again  re 
treated  toward  Dalton.  He  gave  orders  to  discontinue  the  pur 
suit,  as  he  meant  to  turn  his  attention  to  General  Burnside, 
supposed  to  be  in  great  danger  at  Knoxville,  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  northeast.  General  Grant  returned  and  spent 
part  of  the  night  with  me,  at  Graysville.  We  talked  over  mat 
ters  generally,  and  he  explained  that  he  had  ordered  General 
Gordon  Granger,  with  the  Fourth  Corps,  to  move  forward  rap 
idly  to  Burnside's  help,  and  that  he  must  return  to  Chattanooga 
to  push  him.  By  reason  of  the  scarcity  of  food,  especially  of 


366  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

« 
forage,  lie  consented  that,  instead  of  going  back,  I  might  keep 

out  in  the  country ;  for  in  motion  I  could  pick  up  some  forage 
and  food,  especially  on  the  Hiawassee  Biver,  whereas  none  re 
mained  in  Chattanooga. 

Accordingly,  on  the  29th  of  November,  my  several  columns 
marched  to  Cleveland,  and  the  next  day  we  reached  the  Hia 
wassee  at  Charleston,  where  the  Chattanooga  &  Knoxville  Rail 
road  crosses  it.  The  railroad-bridge  was  partially  damaged  by 
the  enemy  in  retreating,  but  we  found  some  abandoned  stores. 
There  and  thereabouts  I  expected  some  rest  for  my  weary 
troops  and  horses ;  but,  as  I  rode  into  town,  I  met  Colonel  J. 
H.  Wilson  and  C.  A.  Dana  (Assistant  Secretary  of  War),  who 
had  ridden  out  from  Chattanooga  to  find  me,  with  the  follow 
ing  letter  from  General  Grant,  and  copies  of  several  dispatches 
from  General  Burnside,  the  last  which  had  been  received  from 
him  by  way  of  Cumberland  Gap : 

HEADQUARTERS  MILITARY  DIVISION  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
CHATTANOOGA,  TENNESSEE,  November  29, 1863.      j 

Major-  General  "W.  T.  SHEKMAN  : 

News  are  received  from  Knoxville  to  the  morning  of  the  27th.  At  that 
time  the  place  was  still  invested,  but  the  attack  on  it  was  not  vigorous. 
Longstreet  evidently  determined  to  starve  the  garrison  out.  Granger  is  on 
the  way  to  Burnside's  relief,  hut  I  have  lost  all  faith  in  his  energy  of  capac 
ity  to  manage  an  expedition  of  the  importance  of  this  one.  I  am  inclined  to 
think,  therefore,  I  shall  have  to  send  you.  Push  as  rapidly  as  you  can  to 
the  Hiawassee,  and  determine  for  yourself  what  force  to  take  with  you  from 
that  point.  Granger  has  his  corps  with  him,  from  which  you  will  select 
in  conjunction  with  the  force  now  with  you.  In  plain  words,  you  will 
assume  command  of  all  the  forces  now  moving  up  the  Tennessee,  includ 
ing  the  garrison  at  Kingston,  and  from  that  force  organize  what  you  deem 
proper  to  relieve  Burnside.  The  balance  send  back  to  Chattanooga.  Gran 
ger  has  a  boat  loaded  with  provisions,  which  you  can  issue,  and  return  the 
boat.  I  will  have  another  loaded,  to  follow  you.  Use,  of  course,  as  spar 
ingly  as  possible  from  the  rations  taken  with  you,  and  subsist  off  the  coun 
try  all  you  can. 

It  is  expected  that  Foster  is  moving,  by  this  time,  from  Cumberland 
Gap  on  Knoxville.  I  do  not  know  what  force  he  will  have  with  him,  but 
presume  it  will  range  from  three  thousand  five  hundred  to  five  thousand. 
I  leave  this  matter  to  you,  knowing  that  you  will  do  better  acting  upon 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE. 

your  discretion  than  you  could  trammeled  with  instructions.    I  will  only 
add,  that  the  last  advices  from  Burnside  himself  indicated  his  ability  to  hold 
out  with  rations  only  to  about  the  3d  of  December. 
Very  respectfully, 

TJ.  S.  GEANT,  Major-  General  commanding, 

This  showed  that,  on  the  27th  of  November,  General  Burn- 
side  was  in  Knoxville,  closely  besieged  by  the  rebel  General 
Longstreet ;  that  his  provisions  were  short,  and  that,  unless  re 
lieved  by  December  3d,  he  might  have  to  surrender.  Gen 
eral  Grant  further  wrote  that  General  Granger,  instead  of  mov 
ing  with  great  rapidity  as  ordered,  seemed  to  move  "  slowly, 
and  with  reluctance ; "  and,  although  he  (General  Grant)  hated 
to  call  on  me  and  on  my  tired  troops,  there  was  no  alternative. 
He  wanted  me  to  take  command  of  every  thing  within  reach, 
and  to  hurry  forward  to  Knoxville. 

All  the  details  of  our  march  to  Knoxville  are  also  given  in 
my  official  report.  By  extraordinary  efforts  Long's  small  bri 
gade  of  cavalry  reached  Knoxville  during  the  night  of  the  3d, 
purposely  to  let  Burnside  know  that  I  was  rapidly  approaching 
with  an  adequate  force  to  raise  the  siege. 

With  the  head  of  my  infantry  column  I  reached  Marysville, 
about  fifteen  miles  short  of  Knoxville,  on  the  5th  of  Decem 
ber,  when  I  received  official  notice  from  Burnside  that  Long- 
street  had  raised  the  siege,  and  had  started  in  retreat  up  the 
valley  toward  Virginia.  Halting  all  the  army,  except  Granger's 
two  divisions,  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  with  General  Gran 
ger  and  some  of  my  staff  I  rode  into  Knoxville.  Approaching 
from  the  south  and  west,  we  crossed  the  Holston  on  a  pontoon- 
bridge,  and  in  a  large  pen  on  the  Knoxville  side  I  saw  a  fine 
lot  of  cattle,  which  did  not  look  much  like  starvation.  I  found 
General  Burnside  and  staff  domiciled  in  a  large,  fine  mansion, 
looking  very  comfortable,  and  in  a  few  words  he  described  to 
me  the  leading  events  of  the  previous  few  days,  and  said 
he  had  already  given  orders  looking  to  the  pursuit  of  Long- 
street.  I  offered  to  join  in  the  pursuit,  though  in  fact  my  men 
were  worn  out,  and  suffering  in  that  cold  season  and  climate. 


368  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

Indeed,  on  our  way  up  I  personally  was  almost  frozen,  and  had 
to  beg  leave  to  sleep  in  the  house  of  a  family  at  Athens. 

Burnside  explained  to  me  that,  reenforced  by  Granger's  two 
divisions  of  ten  thousand  men,  he  would  be  able  to  push  Long- 
street  out  of  East  Tennessee,  and  he  hoped  to  capture  much  of  his 
artillery  and  trains.  Granger  was  present  at  our  conversation, 
and  most  unreasonably,  I  thought,  remonstrated  against  being 
left ;  complaining  bitterly  of  what  he  thought  was  hard  treatment 
to  his  men  and  himself.  I  know  that  his  language  and  manner 
at  that  time  produced  on  my  mind  a  bad  impression,  and  it  was 
one  of  the  causes  which  led  me  to  relieve  him  as  a  corps  com 
mander  in  the  campaign  of  the  next  spring.  I  asked  General 
Burnside  to  reduce  his  wishes  to  writing,  which  he  did  in  the 
letter  of  December  7th,  embodied  in  my  official  report.  Gen 
eral  Burnside  and  I  then  walked  along  his  lines  and  examined 
the  salient,  known  as  Fort  Sanders,  where,  some  days  before, 
Longstreet  had  made  his  assault,  and  had  sustained  a  bloody 
repulse. 

Returning  to  Burnside's  quarters,  we  all  sat  down  to  a  good 
dinner,  embracing  roast-turkey.  There  was  a  regular  dining- 
table,  with  clean  table-cloth,  dishes,  knives,  forks,  spoons,  etc., 
etc.  I  had  seen  nothing  of  this  kind  in  my  field  experience, 
and  could  not  help  exclaiming  that  I  thought  "  they  were  starv 
ing,"  etc. ;  but  Burnside  explained  that  Longstreet  had  at  no 
time  completely  invested  the  place,  and  that  he  had  kept  open 
communication  with  the  country  on  the  south  side  of  the  river 
Holston,  more  especially  with  the  French  Broad  settlements, 
from  whose  Union  inhabitants  he  had  received  a  good  supply  of 
beef,  bacon,  and  corn-meal.  Had  I  known  of  this,  I  should  not 
have  hurried  my  men  so  fast ;  but  until  I  reached  Knoxville  I 
thought  our  troops  there  were  actually  in  danger  of  starvation. 
Having  supplied  General  Burnside  all  the  help  he  wanted,  we 
began  our  leisurely  return  to  Chattanooga,  which  we  reached  on 
the  16th  ;  when  General  Grant  in  j>erson  ordered  me  to  restore 
to  General  Thomas  the  divisions  of  Howard  and  Davis,  which 
belonged  to  his  army,  and  to  conduct  my  own  corps  (the  Fif 
teenth)  to  North  Alabama  for  winter-quarters. 


1863.]  CHATTAXOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  369 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  AND  ARMY  OF  THE  TENNESSEE,  ) 
BRIDGEPORT,  ALABAMA,  December  19,  1863.      j 

Brigadier- General  JOHN  A.  EAWLINS,  Chief  of  Staff  to  General  GBANT, 
Chattanooga. 

GENERAL  :  For  the  first  time,  I  am  now  at  leisure  to  make  an  official 
record  of  events  with  which  the  troops  under  my  command  have  been  con 
nected  during  the  eventful  campaign  which  has  just  closed. 

During  the  month  of  September  last,  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  which 
I  had  the  honor  to  command,  lay  in  camps  along  the  Big  Black,  about 
twenty  miles  east  of  Vicksburg,  Mississippi.  It  consisted  of  four  divisions. 
The  First,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  P.  J.  Osterhaus,  was  com 
posed  of  two  brigades,  led  by  Brigadier-General  C.  E.  "Woods  and  Colonel 
J.  A.  Williamson  (of  the  Fourth  Iowa). 

The  Second,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  was 
composed  of  two  brigades,  led  by  Brigadier-Generals  Giles  A.  Smith  and  J. 
A.  J.  Lightburn. 

The  Third,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  J.  M.  Tuttle,  was  composed 
of  three  brigades,  led  by  Brigadier-Generals  J.  A.  Mower  and  E.  P.  Buck- 
land,  and  Colonel  J.  J.  "Wood  (of  the  Twelfth  Iowa). 

The  Fourth,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  Hugh  Ewing,  was  com 
posed  of  three  brigades,  led  by  Brigadier-General  J.  M.  Corse,  Colonel 
Loomis  (Twenty-sixth  Illinois),  and  Colonel  J.  E.  Cockerill  (of  the  Seven 
tieth  Ohio). 

On  the  22d  day  of  September  I  received  a  telegraphic  dispatch  from 
General  Grant,  then  at  Vicksburg,  commanding  the  Department  of  the 
Tennessee,  requiring  me  to  detach  one  of  my  divisions  to  march  to  Vicks 
burg,  there  to  embark  for  Memphis,  where  it  was  to  form  a  part  of  an  army 
to  be  sent  to  Chattanooga,  to  reenforce  General  Eosecrans.  I  designated 
the  First  Division,  and  at  4  P.  M.  the  same  day  it  marched  for  Vicksburg, 
and  embarked  the  next  day. 

On  the  23d  of  September  I  was  summoned  to  Vicksburg  by  the  general 
commanding,  who  showed  me  several  dispatches  from  the  general-in-chief, 
which  led  him  to  suppose  he  would  have  to  send  me  and  my  whole  corps 
to  Memphis  and  eastward,  and  I  was  instructed  to  prepare  for  such  orders. 
It  was  explained  to  me  that,  in  consequence  of  the  low  stage  of  water  in  the 
Mississippi,  boats  had  arrived  irregularly,  and  had  brought  dispatches  that 
seemed  to  conflict  in  their  meaning,  and  that  General  John  E.  Smith's  divi 
sion  (of  General  McPherson's  corps)  had  been  ordered  up  to  Memphis,  and 
that  I  should  take  that  division  and  leave  one  of  my  own  in  its  stead,  to 
hold  the  line  of  the  Big  Black.  I  detailed  my  third  division  (General  Tuttle) 
to  remain  and  report  to  Major-General  McPherson,  commanding  the  Seven 
teenth  Corps,  at  Vicksburg ;  and  that  of  General  John  E.  Smith,  already 
started  for  Memphis,  was  styled  the  Third  Division,  Fifteenth  Corps,  though 

24 


370  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

it  still  belongs  to  the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps.  This  division  is  also  com 
posed  of  three  brigades,  commanded  by  General  Matthias,  Colonel  J.  B. 
Eaum  (of  the  Fifty-sixth  Illinois),  and  Colonel  J.  I.  Alexander  (of  the  Fifty- 
ninth  Indiana). 

The  Second  and  Fourth  Divisions  were  started  for  Vicksburg  the  mo 
ment  I  was  notified  that  boats  were  in  readiness,  and  on  the  2Vth  of  Sep 
tember  I  embarked  in  person  in  the  steamer  Atlantic,  for  Memphis,  fol 
lowed  by  a  fleet  of  boats  conveying  these  two  divisions.  Our  progress 
was  slow,  on  account  of  the  unprecedentedly  low  water  in  the  Missis 
sippi,  and  the  scarcity  of  coal  and  wood.  We  were  compelled  at  places  to 
gather  fence-rails,  and  to  land  wagons  and  haul  wood  from  the  interior  to 
the  boats;  but  I  reached  Memphis  during  the  night  of  the  2d  of  October, 
and  the  other  boats  came  in  on  the  3d  and  4th. 

On  arrival  at  Memphis  I  saw  General  Hurlbut,  and  read  all  the  dis 
patches  and  letters  of  instruction  of  General  Halleck,  and  therein  derived 
my  instructions,  which  I  construed  to  be  as  follows : 

To  conduct  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  and  all  other  troops  which  could 
be  spared  from  the  line  of  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  Eailroad,  to  Athens, 
Alabama,  and  thence  report  by  letter  for  orders  to  General  Eosecrans,  com 
manding  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  at  Chattanooga ;  to  follow  substan 
tially  the  railroad  eastward,  repairing  it  as  I  moved ;  to  look  to  my  own  line 
for  supplies ;  and  in  no  event  to  depend  on  General  Eosecrans  for  supplies, 
as  the  roads  to  his  rear  were  already  overtaxed  to  supply  his  present  army. 

I  learned  from  General  Hurlbut  that  General  Osterhaus's  division  was 
already  out  in  front-of  Corinth,  and  that  General  John  E.  Smith  was  still 
at  Memphis,  moving  his  troops  and  material  by  railroad  as  fast  as  its  limited 
stock  would  carry  them.  General  J.  D.  Webster  was  superintendent  of  the 
railroad,  and  was  enjoined  to  work  night  and  day,  and  to  expedite  the 
movement  as  rapidly  as  possible ;  but  the  capacity  of  the  road  was  so  small, 
that  I  soon  saw  that  I  could  move  horses,  mules,  and  wagons  faster  by 
land,  and  therefore  I  dispatched  the  artillery  and  wagons  by  the  road 
under  escort,  and  finally  moved  the  entire  Fourth  Division  by  land. 

The  enemy  seems  to  have  had  early  notice  of  this  movement,  and  he 
endeavored  to  thwart  us  from  the  start.  A  considerable  force  assembled  in 
a  threatening  attitude  at  Salem,  south  of  Salisbury  Station ;  and  General 
Carr,  who  commanded  at  Corinth,  felt  compelled  to  turn  back  and  use  a 
part  of  my  troops,  that  had  already  reached  Corinth,  to  resist  the  threat 
ened  attack. 

On  Sunday,  October  llth,  having  put  in  motion  my  whole  force,  I 
started  myself  for  Corinth,  in  a  special  train,  with  the  battalion  of  the  Thir 
teenth  United  States  Eegulars  as  escort.  We  reached  Collierville  Station 
about  noon,  just  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  defense  made  of  that  station  by 
Colonel  D.  C.  Anthony,  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Indiana,  against  an  attack  made 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  371 

by  General  Chalmers  with  a  force  of  about  three  thousand  cavalry,  with 
eight  pieces  of  artillery.  He  was  beaten  off,  the  damage  to  the  road  re 
paired,  and  we  resumed  our  journey  the  next  day,  reaching  Corinth  at 
night. 

I  immediately  ordered  General  Blair  forward  to  luka,  with  the  First 
Division,  and,  as  fast  as  I  got  troops  up,  pushed  them  forward  of  Bear 
Creek,  the  bridge  of  which  was  completely  destroyed,  and  an  engineer  regi 
ment,  under  command  of  Colonel  Flad,  was  engaged  in  its  repairs. 

Quite  a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy  was  assembled  in  our  front, 
near  Tuscumbia,  to  resist  our  advance.  It  was  commanded  by  General 
Stephen  D.  Lee,  and  composed  of  Roddy's  and  Ferguson's  brigades,  with 
irregular  cavalry,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  about  five  thousand. 

In  person  I  moved  from  Corinth  to  Burnsville  on  the  18th,  and  to  luka 
on  the  19th  of  October. 

Osterhaus's  division  was  in  the  advance,  constantly  skirmishing  with 
the  enemy ;  he  was  supported  by  General  Morgan  L.  Smith's,  both  divi 
sions  under  the  general  command  of  Major-General  Blair.  General  John 
E.  Smith's  division  covered  the  working-party  engaged  in  rebuilding  the 
railroad. 

Foreseeing  difficulty  in  crossing  the  Tennessee  Eiver,  I  had  written  to 
Admiral  Porter,  at  Cairo,  asking  him  to  watch  the  Tennessee  and  send 
up  some  gunboats  the  moment  the  stage  of  water  admitted  ;  and  had  also 
requested  General  Allen,  quartermaster  at  St.  Louis,  to  dispatch  to  East- 
port  a  steam  ferry-boat. 

The  admiral,  ever  prompt  and  ready  to  assist  us,  had  two  fine  gunboats 
at  Eastport,  under  Captain  Phelps,  the  very  day  after  my  arrival  at  luka; 
and  Capta'in  Phelps  had  a  coal-barge  decked  over,  with  which  to  cross 
our  horses  and  wagons  before  the  arrival  of  the  ferry-boat. 

Still  following  literally  the  instructions  of  General  Halleck,  I  pushed 
forward  the  repairs  of  the  railroad,  and  ordered  General  Blair,  with  the  two 
leading  divisions,  to  drive  the  enemy  beyond  Tuscumbia.  This  he  did  suc 
cessfully,  after  a  pretty  severe  fight  at  Cane  Creek,  occupying  Tuscumbia 
on  the  27th  of  October. 

In  the  mean  time  many  important  changes  in  command  had  occurred, 
which  I  must  note  here,  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  case. 

General  Grant  had  been  called  from  Vicksburg,  and  sent  to  Chatta 
nooga  to  command  the  military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  composed  of  the 
three  Departments  of  the  Ohio,  Cumberland,  and  Tennessee ;  and  the  De 
partment  of  the  Tennessee  had  been  devolved  on  me,  with  instructions, 
however,  to  retain  command  of  the  army  in  the  field.  At  luka  I  made 
what  appeared  to  me  the  best  disposition  of  matters  relating  to  the  depart 
ment,  giving  General  McPherson  full  powers  in  Mississippi  and  General 
Hurlbut  in  West  Tennessee,  and  assigned  General  Blair  to  the  command  of 


372  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps ;  and  summoned  General  Ilurlbut  from  Memphis, 
and  General  Dodge  from  Corinth,  and  selected  out  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps 
a  force  of  about  eight  thousand  men,  which  I  directed  General  Dodge  to 
organize  with  all  expedition,  and  with  it  to  follow  me  eastward. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  when  General  Blair,  with  two  divisions,  was  at 
Tuscumbia,  I  ordered  General  Ewing,  with  the  Fourth  Division,  to  cross  the 
Tennessee  (by  means  of  the  gunboats  and  scow)  as  rapidly  as  possible  at 
Eastport,  and  push  forward  to  Florence,  which  he  did ;  and  the  same  day 
a  messenger  from  General  Grant  floated  down  the  Tennessee  over  Muscle 
Shoals,  landed  at  Tuscumbia,  and  was  sent  to  me  at  luka.  He  bore  a  short 
message  from  the  general  to  this  effect :  "  Drop  all  work  on  the  railroad  east 
of  Bear  Creek ;  push  your  command  toward  Bridgeport  till  you  meet  or 
ders  ;  "  etc.  Instantly  the  order  was  executed ;  the  order  of  march  was 
reversed,  and  all  the  columns  were  directed  to  Eastport,  the  only  place 
where  we  could  cross  the  Tennessee.  At  first  we  only  had  the  gunboats 
and  coal-barge;  but  the  ferry-boat  and  two  transports  arrived  on  the  31st 
of  October,  and  the  work  of  crossing  was  pushed  with  all  the  vigor  possible. 
In  person  I  crossed,  and  passed  to  the  head  of  the  column  at  Florence  on 
the  1st  of  November,  leaving  the  rear  divisions  to  be  conducted  by  General 
Blair,  and  marched  to  Eogersville  and  Elk  River.  This  was  found  impas 
sable.  To  ferry  would  have  consumed  too  much  time,  and  to  build  a  bridge 
still  more ;  so  there  was  no  alternative  but  to  turn  up  Elk  River  by  way  of 
Gilbertsboro,  Elkton,  etc.,  to  the  stone  bridge  at  Fayetteville,  where  we 
crossed  the  Elk,  and  proceeded  to  "Winchester  and  Deckerd. 

At  Fayetteville  I  received  orders  from  General  Grant  to  come  to  Bridge 
port  with  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  and  to  leave  General  Dodge's  com 
mand  at  Pulaski,  and  along  the  railroad  from  Columbia  to  Decatur.  I  in 
structed  General  Blair  to  follow  with  the  Second  and  First  Divisions  by  way 
of  New  Market,  Larkinsville,  and  Belief onte,  while  I  conducted  the  other 
two  divisions  by  way  of  Deckerd ;  the  Fourth  Division  crossing  the  moun 
tain  to  Stevenson,  and  the  Third  by  University  Place  and  Sweden's  Cove. 

In  person  I  proceeded  by  Sweden's  Cove  and  Battle  Creek,  reaching 
Bridgeport  on  the  night  of  November  13th.  I  immediately  telegraphed  to 
the  commanding  general  my  arrival,  and  the  positions  of  my  several  di 
visions,  and  was  summoned  to  Chattanooga.  I  took  the  first  steamboat 
during  the  night  of  the  14th  for  Kelly's  Ferry,  and  rode  into  Chattanooga 
on  the  15th.  I  then  learned  the  part  assigned  me  in  the  coming  drama,  was 
supplied  with  the  necessary  maps  and  information,  and  rode,  during  the 
16th,  in  company  with  Generals  Grant,  Thomas,  "W.  F.  Smith,  Brannan,  and 
others,  to  the  positions  occupied  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Tennessee,  from 
which  could  be  seen  the  camps  of  the  enemy,  compassing  Chattanooga  and 
the  line  of  Missionary  Hills,  with  its  terminus  on  Chickamauga  Creek,  the 
point  that  I  was  expected  to  take,  hold,  and  fortify.  Pontoons,  with  a  full 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  373 

supply  of  balks  and  chesses,  had  been  prepared  for  the  bridge  over  the  Ten 
nessee,  and  all  things  had  been  prearranged  with  a  foresight  that  elicited 
my  admiration.  From  the  hills  we  looked  down  on  the  amphitheatre  of 
Chattanooga  as  on  a  map,  and  nothing  remained  but  for  me  to  put  my  troops 
in  the  desired  position.  The  plan  contemplated  that,  in  addition  to  crossing 
the  Tennessee  River  and  making  a  lodgment  on  the  terminus  of  Missionary 
Ridge,  I  should  demonstrate  against  Lookout  Mountain,  near  Trenton,  with 
a  part  of  my  command. 

,  All  in  Chattanooga  were  impatient  for  action,  rendered  almost  acute  by 
the  natural  apprehensions  felt  for  the  safety  of  General  Burnside  in  East 
Tennessee. 

My  command  had  marched  from  Memphis,  three  hundred  and  thirty 
miles,  and  I  had  pushed  them  as  fast  as  the  roads  and  distance  would  ad 
mit,  but  I  saw  enough  of  the  condition  of  men  and  animals  in  Chattanooga 
to  inspire  me  with  renewed  energy.  I  immediately  ordered  my  leading 
division  (General  Ewing's)  to  march  via  Shellmound  to  Trenton,  demon 
strating  against  Lookout  Ridge,  but  to  be  prepared  to  turn  quickly  and  fol 
low  me  to  Chattanooga  and  in  person  I  returned  to  Bridgeport,  rowing  a 
boat  down  the  Tennessee  from  Kelly's  Ferry,  and  immediately  on  arrival 
put  in  motion  my  divisions  in  the  order  in  which  they  had  arrived.  The 
bridge  of  boats  at  Bridgeport  was  frail,  and,  though  used  day  and  night,  our 
passage  was  slow  ;  and  the  road  thence  to  Chattanooga  was  dreadfully  cut 
up  and  encumbered  with  the  wagons  of  the  other  troops  stationed  along  the 
road.  I  reached  General  Hooker's  headquarters  during  a  rain,  in  the  after 
noon  of  the  20th,  and  met  General  Grant's  orders  for  the  general  attack  on 
the  next  day.  It  was  simply  impossible  for  me  to  fulfill  my  part  in  time; 
only  one  division  (General  John  E.  Smith's)  was  in  position.  General  Ew- 
ing  was  still  at  Trenton,  and  the  other  two  were  toiling  along  the  terrible 
road  from  Shellmound  to  Chattanooga.  No  troops  ever  were  or  could  be 
in  better  condition  than  mine,  or  who  labored  harder  to  fulfill  their  part. 
On  a  proper  representation,  General  Grant  postponed  the  attack.  On  the 
21st  I  got  the  Second  Division  over  Brown's-Ferry  Bridge,  and  General 
Ewing  got  up ;  but  the  bridge  broke  repeatedly,  and  delays  occurred  which 
no  human  sagacity  could  prevent.  All  labored  night  and  day,  and  General 
Ewing  got  over  on  the  23d ;  but  my  rear  division  was  cut  off  by  the  broken 
bridge  at  Brown's  Ferry,  and  could  not  join  me.  I  offered  to  go  into  action 
with  my  three  divisions,  supported  by  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  leaving  one 
of  my  best  divisions  (Osterhaus's)  to  act  with  General  Hooker  against 
Lookout  Mountain.  That  division  has  not  joined  me  yet,  but  I  know  and 
feel  that  it  has  served  the  country  well,  and  that  it  has  reflected  honor  on 
the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  and  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  I  leave  the  rec 
ord  of  its  history  to  General  Hooker,  or  whomsoever  has  had  its  services 
during  the  late  memorable  events,  confident  that  all  will  do  it  merited  honor. 


374  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

At  last,  on  the  23d  of  November,  my  three  divisions  lay  behind  the  hills 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Chickamauga.  I  dispatched  the  brigade  of  the 
Second  Division,  commanded  by  General  Giles  A.  Smith,  under  cover  of 
the  hills,  to  North  Chickamauga  Creek,  to  man  the  boats  designed  for  the 
pontoon-bridge,  with  orders  (at  midnight)  to  drop  down  silently  to  a  point 
above  the  mouth  of  the  South  Chickamauga,  there  land  two  regiments,  who 
were  to  move  along  the  river-bank  quietly,  and  capture  the  enemy's  river- 
pickets. 

General  Giles  A.  Smith  then  was  to  drop  rapidly  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Chickamauga,  disembark  the  rest  of  his  brigade,  and  dispatch  the  boats 
across  for  fresh  loads.  These  orders  were  skillfully  executed,  and  every  rebel 
picket  but  one  was  captured.  The  balance  of  General  Morgan  L.  Smith's 
division  was  then  rapidly  ferried  across ;  that  of  General  John  E.  Smith 
followed,  and  by  daylight  of  November  24th  two  divisions  of  about  eight 
thousand  men  were  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Tennessee,  and  had  thrown  up 
a  very  respectable  rifle-trench  as  a  tete  du  pont.  As  soon  as  the  day 
dawned,  some  of  the  boats  were  taken  from  the  use  of  ferrying,  and  a 
pontoon-bridge  was  begun,  under  the  immediate  direction  of  Captain  Dres 
ser,  the  whole  planned  and  supervised  by  General  William  F.  Smith  in 
person.  A  pontoon-bridge  was  also  built  at  the  same  time  over  Chick 
amauga  Creek,  near  its  mouth,  giving  communication  with  the  two  regi 
ments  which  had  been  left  on  the  north  side,  and  fulfilling  a  most  important 
purpose  at  a  later  stage  of  the  drama.  I  will  here  bear  my  willing  testi 
mony  to  the  completeness  of  this  whole  business.  All  the  officers  charged 
with  the  work  were  present,  and  manifested  a  skill  which  I  cannot  praise 
too  highly.  I  have  never  beheld  any  work  done  so  quietly,  so  well ;  and  I 
doubt  if  the  history  of  war  can  show  a  bridge  of  that  extent  (viz.,  thirteen 
hundred  and  fifty  feet)  laid  so  noiselessly  and  well,  in  so  short  a  time.  I 
attribute  it  to  the  genius  and  intelligence  of  General  William  F.  Smith. 
The  steamer  Dunbar  arrived  up  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  and  relieved 
Ewing's  division  of  the  labor  of  rowing  across ;  but  by  noon  the  pontoon- 
bridge  was  done,  and  my  three  divisions  were  across,  with  men,  horses, 
artillery,  and  every  thing. 

General  Jeff.  C.  Davis's  division  was  ready  to  take  the  bridge,  and  I 
ordered  the  columns  to  form  in  order  to  carry  the  Missionary  Hills.  The 
movement  had  been  carefully  explained  to  all  division  commanders,  and  at 
1  P.  M.  we  marched  from  the  river  in  three  columns  in  echelon :  the  left, 
General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  the  column  of  direction,  following  substantially 
Chickamauga  Creek;  the  centre,  General  John  E.  Smith,  in  columns, 
doubled  on  the  centre,  at  one  brigade  interval  to  the  right  and  rear ;  the 
right,  General  Ewing,  in  column  at  the  same  distance  to  the  right  rear, 
prepared  to  deploy  to  the  right,  on  the  supposition  that  we  would  meet  an 
enemy  in  that  direction.  Each  head  of  column  was  covered  by  a  good  line 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  375 

of  skirmishers,  with  supports.  A  light  drizzling  rain  prevailed,  and  the 
clouds  hung  low,  cloaking  our  movement  from  the  enemy's  tower  of  obser 
vation  on  Lookout  Mountain.  We  soon  gained  the  foot-hills;  our  skir 
mishers  crept  up  the  face  of  the  hills,  followed  hy  then-  supports,  and  at 
3.30  P.  M.  we  had  gained,  with  no  loss,  the  desired  point.  A  brigade  of  each 
division  was  pushed  rapidly  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the  enemy  for  the 
first  time  seemed  to  realize  the  movement,  but  too  late,  for  we  were  in 
possession.  He  opened  with  artillery,  but  General  Ewing  soon  got  some  of 
Captain  Richardson's  guns  up  that  steep  hill  and  gave  back  artillery, 
and  the  enemy's  skirmishers  made  one  or  two  ineffectual  dashes  at  General 
Lightburn,  who  had  swept  round  and  got  a  farther  hill,  which  was  the  real 
continuation  of  the  ridge.  From  studying  all  the  maps,  I  had  inferred  that 
Missionary  Eidge  was  a  continuous  hill;  but  we  found  ourselves  on  two 
high  points,  with  a  deep  depression  between  us  and  the  one  immediately 
over  the  tunnel,  which  was  my  chief  objective  point.  The  ground  we  had 
gained,  however,  was  so  important,  that  I  could  leave  nothing  to  chance, 
and  ordered  it  to  be  fortified  during  the  night.  One  brigade  of  each 
divisioa  was  left  on  the  hill,  one  of  General  Morgan  L.  Smith's  closed  the 
gap  to  Chickamauga  Creek,  two  of  General  John  E.  Smith's  were  drawn 
back  to  the  base  in  reserve,  and  General  Ewing's  right  was  extended  down 
into  the  plain,  thus  crossing  the  ridge  in  a  general  line,  facing  southeast. 

The  enemy  felt  our  left  flank  about  4  p.  M.,  and  a  pretty  smart  engage 
ment  with  artillery  and  muskets  ensued,  when  he  drew  off ;  but  it  cost  us 
dear,  for  General  Giles  A.  Smith  was  severely  wounded,  and  had  to  go  to 
the  rear ;  and  the  command  of  the  brigade  devolved  on  Colonel  Tupper 
(One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois),  who  managed  it  with  skill  during 
the  rest  of  the  operations.  At  the  moment  of  my  crossing  the  bridge,  Gen 
eral  Howard  appeared,  having  come  with  three  regiments  from  Chattanoo 
ga,  along  the  east  bank  of  the  Tennessee,  connecting  my  new  position  with 
that  of  the  main  army  in  Chattanooga.  He  left  the  three  regiments  attached 
temporarily  to  General  Ewing's  right,  and  returned  to  his  own  corps  at 
Chattanooga.  As  night  closed  in,  I  ordered  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  to  keep 
one  of  his  brigades  at  the  bridge,  one  close  up  to  my  position,  and  one  inter 
mediate.  Thus  we  passed  the  night,  heavy  details  being  kept  busy  at  work 
on  the  intrenchments  on  the  hill.  During  the  night  the  sky  cleared  away 
bright,  a  cold  frost  filled  the  air,  and  our  camp-fires  revealed  to  the  ene 
my  and  to  our  friends  in  Chattanooga  our  position  on  Missionary  Ridge. 
About  midnight  I  received,  at  the  hands  of  Major  Rowley  (of  General 
Grant's  staff),  orders  to  attack  the  enemy  at  "  da\vn  of  day,"  with  notice 
that  General  Thomas  would  attack  in  force  early  in  the  day.  Accordingly, 
before  day  I  was  in  the  saddle,  attended  by  all  my  staff;  rode  to  the  ex 
treme  left  of  our  position  near  Chickamauga  Creek ;  thence  up  the  hill,  held 
by  General  Lightburn ;  and  round  to  the  extreme  right  of  General  Ewing. 


376  CHATTANOOGA  AKD  KNOXVILLE.  [18C3. 

Catching  as  accurate  an  idea  of  the.  ground  as  possible  by  the  dim  light  of 
morning,  I  saw  that  our  line  of  attack  was  in  the  direction  of  Missi9nary 
Eidge,  with  wings  supporting  on  either  flank.  Quite  a  valley  lay  between 
us  and  the  next  hill  of  the  series,  and  this  hill  presented  steep  sides,  the  one 
to  the  west  partially  cleared,  but  the  other  covered  with  the  native  forest. 
The  crest  of  the  ridge  was  narrow  and  wooded.  The  farther  point  of  this 
hill  was  held  by  the  enemy  with  a  breastwork  of  logs  and  fresh  earth,  filled 
with  men  and  two  guns.  The  enemy  was  also  seen  in  great  force  on  a  still 
higher  hill  beyond  the  tunnel,  from  which  he  had  a  fine  plunging  fire  oil 
the  hill  in  dispute.  The  gorge  between,  through  which  several  roads  and 
the  railroad- tunnel  pass,  could  not  be  seen  from  our  position,  but  formed 
the  natural  place  d'armes,  where  the  enemy  covered  his  masses  to  resist  our 
contemplated  movement  of  turning  his  right  flank  and  endangering  his 
communications  with  his  depot  at  Chickamauga  Station. 

As  soon  as  possible,  the  following  dispositions  were  made  :  The  brigades 
of  Colonels  Cockrell  and  Alexander,  and  General  Lightburn,  were  to  hold 
our  hill  as  the  key-point.  General  Corse,  with  as  much  of  his  brigade  as 
could  operate  along  the  narrow  ridge,  was  to  attack  from  our  right  centre. 
General  Lightburn  was  to  dispatch  a  good  regiment  from  his  position  to 
cooperate  with  General  Corse ;  and  General  Morgan  L.  Smith  was  to  move 
along  the  east  base  of  Missionary  Eidge,  connecting  with  General  Corse ; 
and  Colonel  Loomis,  in  like  manner,  to  move  along  the  west  base,  supported 
by  the  two  reserve  brigades  of  General  John  E.  Smith. 

The  sun  had  hardly  risen  before  General  Corse  had  completed  his  prepa 
rations  and  his  bugle  sounded  the  "  forward  !  "  The  Fortieth  Illinois,  sup 
ported  by  the  Forty-sixth  Ohio,  on  our  right  centre,  with  the  Thirtieth 
Ohio  (Colonel  Jones),  moved  down  the  face  of  our  hill,  and  up  that  held  by 
the  enemy.  The  line  advanced  to  within  about  eighty  yards  of  the  in 
trenched  position,  where  General  Corse  found  a  secondary  crest,  which  he 
gained  and  held.  To  this  point  he  called  his  reserves,  and  asked  for  reen- 
forcements,  which  were  sent ;  but  the  space  was  narrow,  and  it  was  not 
well  to  crowd  the  men,  as  the  enemy's  artillery  and  musketry  fire  swept 
the  approach  to  his  position,  giving  him  great  advantage.  As  soon  as  Gen 
eral  Corse  had  made  his  preparations,  he  assaulted,  and  a  close,  severe  con 
test  ensued,  which  lasted  more  than  an  hour,  gaining  and  losing  ground, 
but  never  the  position  first  obtained,  from  which  the  enemy  in  vain  at 
tempted  to  drive  him.  General  Morgan  L.  Smith  kept  gaining  ground  on 
the  left  spurs  of  Missionary  Eidge,  and  Colonel  Loomis  got  abreast  of  the 
tunnel  and  railroad  embankment  on  his  side,  drawing  the  enemy's  fire,  and 
to  that  extent  relieving  the  assaulting  party  on  the  hill-crest.  Captain 
Callender  had  four  of  his  gtms  on  General  Swing's  hill,  and  Captain  Woods 
his  Napoleon  battery  on  General  Lightburn's ;  also,  two  guns  of  Dillon's 
battery  were  with  Colonel  Alexander's  brigade.  All  directed  their  fire  as 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KtfOXVILLE.  377 

carefully  as  possible,  to  clear  the  hill  to  our  front,  without  endangering  our 
own  men.  The  fight  raged  furiously  about  10  A.  M.,  when  General  Corse 
received  a  severe  wound,  was  brought  off  the  field,  and  the  command 
of  the  brigade  and  of  the  assault  at  that  key -point  devolved  on  that  fine 
young,  gallant  officer,  Colonel  Walcutt,  of  the  Forty-sixth  Ohio,  who  fulfilled 
his  part  manfully.  He  continued  the  contest,  pressing  forward  at  all  points. 
Colonel  Loomis  had  made  good  progress  to  the  right,  and  about  2  p.  M. 
General  John  E.  Smith,  judging  the  battle  to  be  most  severe  on  the  hill, 
and  being  required  to  support  General  Ewing,  ordered  up  Colonel  Eaum's 
and  General  Matthias's  brigades  across  the  field  to  the  summit  that  was 
being  fought  for.  They  moved  up  under  a  heavy  fire  of  cannon  and  mus 
ketry,  and  joined  Colonel  "Walcutt ;  but  the  crest  was  so  narrow  that  they 
necessarily  occupied  the  west  face  of  the  hDl.  The  enemy,  at  the  time  being 
massed  in  great  strength  in  the  tunnel-gorge,  moved  a  large  force  under 
cover  of  the  ground  and  the  thick  bushes,  and  suddenly  appeared  on  the 
right  rear  of  this  command.  The  suddenness  of  the  attack  disconcerted  the 
men,  exposed  as  they  were  in  the  open  field ;  they  fell  back  in  some  disorder 
to  the  lower  edge  of  the  field,  and  reformed.  These  two  brigades  were  in 
the  nature  of  supports,  and  did  not  constitute  a  part  of  the  real  attack. 
The  movement,  seen  from  Chattanooga  (five  miles  off)  with  spy-glasses,  gave 
rise  to  the  report,  which  even  General  Meigs  has  repeated,  that  we  were  re 
pulsed  on  the  left.  It  was  not  so.  The  real  attacking  columns  of  General 
Corse,  Colonel  Loomis,  and  General  Smith,  were  not  repulsed.  They 
engaged  in  a  close  struggle  all  day  persistently,  stubbornly,  and  well. 
"When  the  two  reserve  brigades  of  General  John  E.  Smith  fell  back  as  de 
scribed,  the  enemy  made  a  show  of  pursuit,  but  were  in  their  turn  caught  in 
flank  by  the  well-directed  fire  of  our  brigade  on  the  wooded  crest,  and 
hastily  sought  cover  behind  the  hill. 

Thus  matters  stood  about  3  p.  M.  The  day  was  bright  and  clear,  and 
the  amphitheatre  of  Chattanooga  lay  in  beauty  at' our  feet.  I  had  watched 
for  the  attack  of  General  Thomas  "  early  in  the  day." 

Column  after  column  of  the  enemy  was  streaming  toward  me  ;  gun  after 
gun  poured  its  concentric  shot  on  us,  from  every  hill  and  spur  that  gave  a 
view  of  any  part  of  the  ground  held  by  us.  An  occasional  shot  from  Fort 
Wood  and  Orchard  Knoll,  and  some  musketry-fire  and  artillery  over  about 
Lookout  Mountain,  was  all  that  I  could  detect  on  our  side ;  but  about  3 
p.  M.  I  noticed  the  white  line  of  musketry-fire  in  front  of  Orchard  Knoll 
extending  farther  and  farther  right  and  left  and  on.  "We  could  only  hear 
a  faint  echo  of  sound,  but  enough  was  seen  to  satisfy  me  that  General 
Thomas  was  at  last  moving  on  the  centre.  I  knew  that  our  attack  had 
drawn  vast  masses  of  the  enemy  to  our  flank,  and  felt  sure  of  the  result. 
Some  guns  which  had  been  firing  on  us  all  day  were  silent,  or  were  turned 
in  a  different  direction. 


378  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

The  advancing  line  of  musketry-fire  from  Orchard  Knoll  disappeared 
to  us  behind  a  spur  of  the  hill,  and  could  no  longer  be  seen ;  and  it  was 
not  until  night  closed  in  that  I  knew  that  the  troops  in  Chattanooga  had 
swept  across  Missionary  Kidge  and  broken  the  enemy's  centre.  Of  course, 
the  victory  was  won,  and  pursuit  was  the  next  step. 

I  ordered  General  Morgan  L.  Smith  to  feel  to  the  tunnel,  and  it  was 
found  vacant,  save  by  the  dead  and  wounded  of  our  own  and  the  enemy 
commingled.  The  reserve  of  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  was  ordered  to  march 
at  once  by  the  pontoon-bridge  across  Chickamauga  Creek,  at  its  mouth,  and 
push  forward  for  the  depot. 

General  Howard  had  reported  to  me  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  with 
the  remainder  of  his  army  corps  (the  Eleventh),  and  had  been  posted  to 
connect  my  left  with  Chickamauga  Creek.  He  was  ordered  to  repair  an 
old  broken  bridge  about  two  miles  up  the  Chickamauga,  and  to  follow  Gen 
eral  Davis  at  4  A.  M.,  and  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  was  ordered  to  follow 
at  daylight.  But  General  Howard  found  that  to  repair  the  bridge  was  more 
of  a  task  than  was  at  first  supposed,  and  we  were  all  compelled  to  cross  the 
Chickamauga  on  the  new  pontoon-bridge  at  its  mouth.  By  about  11  A.  M. 
General  Jeff.  C.  Davis's  division  reached  the  depot,  just  in  time  to  see  it  in 
flames.  He  found  the  enemy  occupying  two  hills,  partially  intrenched,  just 
beyond  the  depot.  These  he  soon  drove  away.  The  depot  presented  a 
scene  of  desolation  that  war  alone  exhibits — corn-meal  and  corn  in  huge 
burning  piles,  broken  wagons,  abandoned  caissons,  two  thirty-two-pounder 
rifled-guns  with  carriages  burned,  pieces  of  pontoons,  balks  and  chesses, 
etc.,  destined  doubtless  for  the  famous  invasion  of  Kentucky,  and  all  manner 
of  things,  burning  and  broken.  Still,  the  enemy  kindly  left  us  a  good  sup 
ply  of  forage  for  our  horses,  and  meal,  beans,  etc.,  for  our  men. 

Pausing  but  a  short  while,  we  passed  on,  the  road  filled  with  broken 
wagons  and  abandoned  caissons,  till  night.  Just  as  the  head  of  the  column 
emerged  from  a  dark,  miry  swamp,  we  encountered  the  rear-guard  of  the 
retreating  enemy.  The  fight  was  sharp,  but  the  night  closed  in  so  dark 
that  we  could  not  move.  General  Grant  came  up  to  us  there.  At  day 
light  we  resumed  the  march,  and  at  Graysville,  where  a  good  bridge  spanned 
the  Chickamauga,  we  found  the  corps  of  General  Palmer  on  the  south  bank, 
who  informed  us  that  General  Hooker  was  on  a  road  still  farther  south,  and 
we  could  hear  his  guns  near  Ringgold. 

As  the  roads  were  filled  with  all  the  troops  they  could  possibly  accom 
modate,  I  turned  to  the  east,  to  fulfill  another  part  of  the  general  plan,  viz., 
to  break  up  all  communication  between  Bragg  and  Longstreet. 

We  had  all  sorts  of  rumors  as  to  the  latter,  but  it  was  manifest  that  we 
should  interpose  a  proper  force  between  these  two  armies.  I  therefore 
directed  General  Howard  to  move  to  Parker's  Gap,  and  thence  send  rapidly 
a  competent  force  to  Eed  Clay,  or  the  Council-Ground,  there  to  destroy 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  379 

a  large  section  of  the  railroad  which  connects  Dalton  and  Cleveland.  This 
work  was  most  successfully  and  fully  accomplished  that  day.  The  division 
of  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  was  moved  close  up  to  Ringgold,  to  assist  Gen 
eral  Hooker  if  needed,  and  the  Fifteenth  Corps  was  held  at  Graysville, 
for  any  thing  that  might  turn  up.  About  noon  I  had  a  message  from  Gen 
eral  Hooker,  saying  he  had  had  a  pretty  hard  fight  at  the  mountain-pass 
just  beyond  Ringgold,  and  he  wanted  me  to  come  forward  to  turn  the  posi 
tion.  He  was  not  aware  at  the  time  that  Howard,  by  moving  through 
Parker's  Gap  toward  Red  Clay,  had  already  turned  it.  So  I  rode  forward 
to  Ringgold  in  person,  and  found  the  enemy  had  already  fallen  back  to 
Tunnel  Hill.  He  was  already  out  of  the  valley  of  the  Chickamauga,  and  on 
ground  whence  the  waters  flow  to  the  Coosa.  He  was  out  of  Tennessee. 

I  found  General  Grant  at  Ringgold,  and,  after  some  explanations  as  to 
breaking  up  the  railroad  from  Ringgold  back  to  the  State  line,  as  soon  as 
some  cars  loaded  with  wounded  men  could  be  pushed  back  to  Chickamauga 
depot,  I  was  ordered  to  move  slowly  and  leisurely  back  to  Chattanooga. 

On  the  following  day  the  Fifteenth  Corps  destroyed  absolutely  and 
effectually  the  railroad  from  a  point  half-way  between  Ringgold  and  Grays 
ville,  back  to  the  State  line  ;  and  General  Grant,  coming  to  Graysville,  con 
sented  that,  instead  of  returning  direct  to  Chattanooga,  I  might  send  back 
all  my  artillery-wagons  and  impediments,  and  make  a  circuit  by  the  north 
as  far  as  the  Hiawassee  River. 

Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of  November  29th,  General  Howard  moved 
from  Parker's  Gap  to  Cleveland,  General  Davis  by  way  of  McDaniel's  Gap, 
and  General  Blair  with  two  divisions  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  by  way  of 
Julien's  Gap,  all  meeting  at  Cleveland  that  night.  Here  another  good 
break'  was  made  in  the  Dalton  &  Cleveland  road.  On  the  30th  the  army 
moved  to  Charleston,  General  Howard  approaching  so  rapidly  that  the 
enemy  evacuated  with  haste,  leaving  the  bridge  but  partially  damaged,  and 
five  car-loads  of  flour  and  provisions  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Hiawassee. 

This  was  to  have  been  the  limit  of  our  operations.  Officers  and  men  had 
brought  no  baggage  or  provisions,  and  the  weather  was  bitter  cold.  I  had 
already  reached  the  town  of  Charleston,  when  General  Wilson  arrived  with 
a  letter  from  General  Grant,  at  Chattanooga,  informing  me  that  the  latest 
authentic  accounts  from  Knoxville  were  to  the  27th,  at  which  time  General 
Burnside  was  completely  invested,  and  had  provisions  only  to  include  the 
3d  of  December ;  that  General  Granger  had  left  Chattanooga  for  Knoxville, 
by  the  river-road,  with  a  steamboat  following  him  in  the  river ;  but  he 
feared  that  General  Granger  could  not  reach  Knoxville  in  time,  and  or 
dered  me  to  take  command  of  all  troops  moving  for  the  relief  of  Knox 
ville,  and  hasten  to  General  Burnside.  Seven  days  before,  we  had  left 
our  camps  on  the  other  side  of  the  Tennessee  with  two  days'  rations,  with* 
out  a  change  of  clothing — stripped  for  the  fight,  with  but  a  single  blanket 
or  coat  per  man,  from  myself  to  the  private  included. 


380  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

Of  course,  we  then  had  no  provisions  save  what  we  gathered  by  the 
road,  and  were  ill  supplied  for  such  a  march.  But  we  learned  that  twelve 
thousand  of  our  fellow-soldiers  were  beleaguered  in  the  mountain  town  of 
Knoxville,  eighty-four  miles  distant ;  that  they  needed  relief,  and  must  have 
it  in  three  days.  This  was  enough — and  it  had  to  be  done.  General 
Howard  that  night  repaired  and  planked  the  railroad-bridge,  and  at  day 
light  the  army  passed  over  the  Hiawassee  and  marched  to  Athens,  fifteen 
miles.  I  had  supposed  rightly  that  General  Granger  was  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Hiawassee,  and  had  sent  him  notice  of  my  orders ;  that  General 
Grant  had  sent  me  a  copy  of  his  written  instructions,  which  were  full  and 
complete,  and  that  he  must  push  for  Kingston,  near  which  we  would  make 
a  junction.  But  by  the  time  I  reached  Athens  I  had  better  studied  the 
geography,  and  sent  him  orders,  which  found  him  at  Decatur,  that  Kingston 
was  out  of  our  way ;  that  he  should  send  his  boat  to  Kingston,  but  with  his 
command  strike  across  to  Philadelphia,  and  report  to  me  there.  I  had  but 
a  small  force  of  cavalry,  which  was,  at  the  time  of  my  receipt  ot  General 
Grant's  orders,  scouting  over  about  Benton  and  Columbus.  I  left  my  aide, 
Major  McCoy,  at  Charleston,  to  communicate  with  this  cavalry  and  hurry  it 
forward.  It  overtook  me  in  the  night  at  Athens. 

On  the  2d  of  December  the  army  moved  rapidly  north  toward  Loudon, 
twenty-six  miles  distant.  About  11  A.  M.  the  cavalry  passed  to  the  head 
of  the  column,  was  ordered  to  push  to  Loudon,  and,  if  possible,  to  save  a 
pontoon-bridge  across  the  Tennessee,  held  by  a  brigade  of  the  enemy  com 
manded  by  General  Vaughn.  The  cavalry  moved  with  such  rapidity  as  to 
capture  every  picket ;  but  the  brigade  of  Vaughn  had  artillery  in  position, 
covered  by  earthworks,  and  displayed  a  force  too  respectable  to  be  carried 
by  a  cavalry  dash,  so  that  darkness  closed  in  before  General  Howard's 
infantry  got  up.  The  enemy  abandoned  the  place  in  the  night,  destroying 
the  pontoons,  running  three  locomotives  and  forty-eight  cars  into  the 
Tennessee  River,  and  abandoned  much  provision,  four  guns,  and  other 
material,  which  General  Howard  took  at  daylight.  But  the  bridge  was 
gone,  and  we  were  forced  to  turn  east  and  trust  to  General  Burnside's 
bridge  at  Knoxville.  It  was  all-important  that  General  Burnside  should 
have  notice  of  our  coming,  and  but  one  day  of  the  time  remained. 

Accordingly,  at  Philadelphia,  during  the  night  of  the  2d  of  December, 
I  sent  my  aide  (Major  Audenried)  forward  to  Colonel  Long,  commanding 
the  brigade  of  cavalry  at  Loudon,  to  explain  to  him  how  all-important  it 
was  that  notice  of  our  approach  should  reach  General  Burnside  within 
twenty-four  hours,  ordering  him  to  select  the  best  materials  of  his  command, 
to  start  at  once,  ford  the  Little  Tennessee,  and  push  into  Knoxville  at  what 
ever  cost  of  life  and  horse-flesh.  Major  Audenried  was  ordered  to  go  along. 
The  distance  to  be  traveled  was  about  forty  miles,  and  the  roads  villainous. 
Before  day  they  were  off,  and  at  daylight  the  Fifteenth  Corps  was  turned 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KXOXVILLE.  381 

from  Philadelphia  for  the  Little  Tennessee  at  Morgantown,  where  my  maps 
represented  the  river  as  being  very  shallow  ;  but  it  was  found  too  deep  for 
fording,  and  the  water  was  freezing  cold — width  two  hundred  and  forty 
yards,  depth  from  two  to  five  feet ;  horses  could  ford,  but  artillery  and 
men  could  not.  A  bridge  was  indispensable.  General  Wilson  (who  accom 
panied  me)  undertook  to  superintend  the  bridge,  and  I  am  nnder  many  ob 
ligations  to  him,  as  I  was  without  an  engineer,  having  sent  Captain  Jenny 
back  from  Graysville  to  survey  our  field  of  battle.  We  had  our  pioneers, 
but  only  such  tools  as  axes,  picks,  and  spades.  General  Wilson,  working 
partly  with  cut  wood  and  partly  with  square  trestles  (made  of  the  houses  of 
the  late  town  of  Morgantown),  progressed  apace,  and  by  dark  of  December 
4th  troops  and  animals  passed  over  the  bridge,  and  by  daybreak  of  the  5th 
the  Fifteenth  Corps  (General  Blair's)  was  over,  and  Generals  Granger's 
and  Davis's  divisions  were  ready  to  pass;  but  the  diagonal  bracing  was  im 
perfect  for  want  of  spikes,  and  the  bridge  broke,  causing  delay.  I  had 
ordered  General  Blair  to  move  out  on  the  Marysville  road  five  miles,  there 
to  await  notice  that  General  Granger  was  on  a  parallel  road  abreast  of  him, 
and  in  person  I  was  at  a  house  where  the  roads  parted,  when  a  messenger 
rode  up,  bringing  me  a  few  words  from  General  Burnside,  to  the  effect  that 
Colonel  Long  had  arrived  at  Knoxville  with  his  cavalry,  and  that  all  was 
well  with  him  there ;  Longstreet  still  lay  before  the  place,  but  there  were 
symptoms  of  his  speedy  departure. 

I  felt  that  I  had  accomplished  the  first  great  step  in  the  problem  for  the 
relief  of  General  Burnside's  army,  but  still  urged  on  the  work.  As  soon  as 
the  bridge  was  mended,  all  the  troops  moved  forward.  General  Howard 
had  marched  from  Loudon,  had  found  a  pretty  good  ford  for  his  horses 
and  wagons  at  Davis's,  seven  miles  below  Morgantown,  and  had  made  an 
ingenious  bridge  of  the  wagons  left  by  General  Vaughn  at  Loudon,  on  which 
to  pass  his  men.  He  marched  by  Unitia  and  Louisville.  On  the  night  of 
the  5th  all  the  heads  of  columns  communicated  at  Marysville,  where  I  met 
Major  Van  Buren  (of  General  Burnside's  staff),  who  announced  that  Long- 
street  had  the  night  before  retreated  on  the  Rutledge,  Rogersville,  and 
Bristol  road,  leading  to  Virginia ;  that  General  Burnside's  cavalry  was  on 
his  heels;  and  that  the  general  desired  to  see  me  in  person  as  soon  as  I 
could  come  to  KnoxviUe.  I  ordered  all  the  troops  to  halt  and  rest,  except 
the  two  divisions  of  General  Granger,  which  were  ordered  to  move  forward 
to  Little  River,  and  General  Granger  to  report  in  person  to  General  Burn- 
side  for  orders.  His  was  the  force  originally  designed  to  reenforce  General 
Burnside,  and  it  was  eminently  proper  that  it  should  join  in  the  stern-chase 
after  Longstreet. 

On  the  morning  of  December  6th  I  rode  from  Marysville  into  Knoxville, 
and  met  General  Burnside.  General  Granger  arrived  later  in  the  day.  We 
examined  his  lines  of  fortifications,  which  were  a  wonderful  production  for 


382  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KXOXYILLE.  [1863. 

the  short  time  allowed  in  their  selection  of  ground  and  construction  of 
work.  It  seemed  to  me  that  they  were  nearly  impregnable.  We  ex 
amined  the  redoubt  named  "  Sanders,"  where,  on  the  Sunday  previous, 
three  brigades  of  the  enemy  had  assaulted  and  met  a  bloody  repulse.  Now, 
all  was  peaceful  and  quiet ;  but  a  few  hours  before,  the  deadly  bullet  sought 
its  victim  all  round  about  that  hilly  barrier. 

The  general  explained  to  me  fully  and  frankly  what  he  had  done,  and 
what  he  proposed  to  do.  He  asked  of  me  nothing  but  General  Granger's 
command ;  and  suggested,  in  view  of  the  large  force  I  had  brought  from 
Chattanooga,  that  I  should  return  with  due  expedition  to  the  line  of  the 
Hiawassee,  lest  Bragg,  reenforced,  might  take  advantage  of  our  absence  to 
resume  the  offensive.  I  asked  him  to  reduce  this  to  writing,  which  he  did, 
and  I  here  introduce  it  as  part  of  my  report : 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  OHIO,  } 
KXOXVLLLE,  December  7, 1863.      j 

Major- General  W.  T.  SHERMAN,  commanding,  etc. 

GENERAL  :  I  desire  to  express  to  you  and  your  command  my  most  hearty 
thanks  and  gratitude  for  your  promptness  in  coming  to  our  relief  during  the 
siege  of  Knoxville,  and  I  am  satisfied  your  approach  served  to  raise  the 
siege.  The  emergency  having  passed,  I  do  not  deem,  for  the  present,  any 
other  portion  of  your  command  but  the  corps  of  General  Granger  neces 
sary  for  operations  in  this  section ;  and,  inasmuch  as  General  Grant  has 
weakened  the  forces  immediately  with  him  in  order  to  relieve  us  (thereby 
-rendering  the  positkm  of  General  Thomas  less  secure),  I  deem  it  advisable 
that  all  the  troops  now  here,  save  those  commanded  by  General  Granger, 
should  return  at  once  to  within  supporting  distance  of  the  forces  in  front 
of  Bragg's  army.  In  behalf  of  my  command,  I  desire  again  to  thank  you 
and  your  command  for  the  kindness  you  have  done  us. 

I  am,  general,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  E.  BTIBNSIDE,  Major- General  commanding. 

Accordingly,  having  seen  General  Burnside's  forces  move  out  of  Knox 
ville  in  pursuit  of  Longstreet,  and  General  Granger's  move  in,  I  put  in 
motion  my  own  command  to  return.  General  Howard  was  ordered  to  move, 
via  Davis's  Ford  and  Sweetwater,  to  Athens,  with  a  guard  forward  at 
Charleston,  to  hold  and  repair  the  bridge  which  the  enemy  had  retaken  after 
our  passage  up.  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  moved  to  Columbus,  on  the  Hiawas 
see,  ma  Madisonville,  and  the  two  divisions  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  moved  to 
Tellico  Plains,  to  cover  a  movement  of  cavalry  across  the  mountains  into 
Georgia,  to  overtake  a  wagon-train  which  had  dodged  us  on  our  way  up, 
and  had  escaped  by  way  of  Murphy.  Subsequently,  on  a  report  from  Gen 
eral  Howard  that  the  enemy  held  Charleston,  I  diverted  General  Swing's 
division  to  Athens,  and  went  in  person  to  Tellico  with  General  Morgan  L. 
Smith's  division.  By  the  9th  all  our  troops  were  in  position,  and  we  held  the 
rich  country  between  the  Little  Tennessee  and  the  Hiawassee.  The  cavalry, 
under  Colonel  Long,  passed  the  mountain  at  Tellico,  and  proceeded  about 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  383 

seventeen  miles  beyond  Murphy,  when  Colonel  Long,  deeming  his  farther 
pursuit  of  the  wagon-train  useless,  returned  on  the  12th  to  Tellico.  I 
then  ordered  him  and  the  division  of  General  Morgan  L.  Smith  to  move 
to  Charleston,  to  which  point  I  had  previously  ordered  the  corps  of  Gen 
eral  Howard. 

On  the  14th  of  December  all  of  my  command  in  the  field  lay  along  the 
Hiawassee.  Having  communicated  to  General  Grant  the  actual  state  of 
affairs,  I  received  orders  to  leave,  on  the  line  of  the  Hiawassee,  all  the  cav 
alry,  and  come  to  Chattanooga  with  the  rest  of  my  command.  I  left 
the  brigade  of  cavalry  commanded  by  Colonel  Long,  reenforced  by  the  Fifth 
Ohio  Cavalry  (Lieutenant-Colonel  Heath) — the  only  cavalry  properly  be 
longing  to  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps — at  Charleston,  and  with  the  remain 
der  moved  by  easy  marches,  by  Cleveland  and  Tyner's  Depot,  into  Chatta 
nooga,  where  I  received  in  person  from  General  Grant  orders  to  transfer 
back  to  their  appropriate  commands  the  corps  of  General  Howard  and  the 
division  commanded  by  General  Jeff.  0.  Davis,  and  to  conduct  the  Fifteenth 
Army  Corps  to  its  new  field  of  operations. 

It  will  thus  appear  that  we  have  been  constantly  in  motion  since  our 
departure  from  the  Big  Black,  in  Mississippi,  until  the  present  moment. 
I  have  been  unable  to  receive  from  subordinate  commanders  the  usual  full, 
detailed  reports  of  events,  and  have  therefore  been  compelled  to  makeup 
this  report  from  my  own  personal  memory  ;  but,  as  soon  as  possible,  subor 
dinate  reports  will  be  received  and  duly  forwarded. 

In  reviewing  the  facts,  I  must  do  justice  to  the  men  of  my  command  for 
the  patience,  cheerfulness,  and  courage  which  officers  and  men  have  dis 
played  throughout,  in  battle,  on  the  march,  and  in  camp.  For  long  periods, 
without  regular  rations  or  supplies  of  any  kind,  they  have  marched  through 
mud  and  over  rocks,  sometimes  barefooted,  without  a  murmur.  Without  a 
moment's  rest  after  a  march  of  over  four  hundred  miles,  without  sleep  for 
three  successive  nights,  we  crossed  the  Tennessee,  fought  our  part  of  the 
battle  of  Chattanooga,  pursued  the  enemy  out  of  Tennessee,  and  then  turned 
more  than  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles  north  and  compelled  Longstreet  to 
raise  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  which  gave  so  much  anxiety  to  the  whole 
country.  It  is  hard  to  realize  the  importance  of  these  events  without  re 
calling  the  memory  of  the  general  feeling  which  pervaded  all  minds  at  Chat 
tanooga  prior  to  our  arrival.  I  cannot  speak  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps 
without  a  seeming  vanity ;  but  as  I  am  no  longer  its  commander,  I  assert 
that  there  is  no  better  body  of  soldiers  in  America  than  it.  I  wish  all  to 
feel  a  just  pride  in  its  real  honors. 

To  General  Howard  and  his  command,  to  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  and 
his,  I  am  more  than  usually  indebted  for  the  intelligence  of  commanders 
and  fidelity  of  commands.  The  brigade  of  Colonel  Bushbeck,  belonging  to 
the  Eleventh  Corps,  which  was  the  first  to  come  out  of  Chattanooga  to  my 


384 


CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE. 


[1863. 


flank,  fonght  at  the  Tunnel  Hill,  in  connection  with  General  Ewing's  divi 
sion,  and  displayed  a  courage  almost  amounting  to  rashness.  Following 
the  enemy  almost  to  the  tunnel-gorge,  it  lost  many  valuable  lives,  promi 
nent  among  them  Lieutenant-Colonel  Taft,  spoken  of  as  a  most  gallant 
soldier. 

In  General  Howard  throughout  I  found  a  polished  and  Christian  gentle 
man,  exhibiting  the  highest  and. most  chivalric  traits  of  the  soldier.  Gen 
eral  Davis  handled  his  division  with  artistic  skill,  more  especially  at  the 
moment  we  encountered  the  enemy's  rear-guard,  near  Graysville,  at  night 
fall.  I  must  award  to  this  division  the  credit  of  the  best  order  during  our 
movement  through  East  Tennessee,  when  long  marches  and  the  necessity  of 
foraging  to  the  right  and  left  gave  some  reason  for  disordered  ranks. 

Inasmuch  as  exception  may  be  taken  to  my  explanation  of  the  tempo 
rary  confusion,  during  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  of  the  two  brigades  of  Gen 
eral  Matthias  and  Colonel  Eaum,  I  will  here  state  that  I  saw  the  whole, 
and  attach  no  blame  to  any  one.  Accidents  will  happen  in  battle,  as  else 
where  ;  and  at  the  point  where  they  so  manfully  went  to  relieve  the  pressure 
on  other  parts  of  our  assaulting  line,  they  exposed  themselves  unconsciously 
to  an  enemy  vastly  superior  in  force,  and  favored  by  the  shape  of  the  ground. 
Had  that  enemy  come  out  on  equal  terms,  those  brigades  would  have  shown 
their  mettle,  which  has  been  tried  more  than  once  before  and  stood  the  test 
of  fire.  They  reformed  their  ranks,  and  were  ready  to  support  General 
Ewing's  division  in  a  very  few  minutes ;  and  the  circumstance  would  have 
hardly  called  for  notice  on  my  part,  had  not  others  reported  what  was  seen 
from  Chattanooga,  a  distance  of  nearly  five  miles,  from  where  could  only  be 
seen  the  troops  in  the  open  field  in  which  this  affair  occurred. 

I  now  subjoin  the  best  report  of  casualties  I  am  able  to  compile  from 
the  records  thus  far  received : 


CORPS,  DIVISIONS,  ETC. 

Killed. 

Wounded. 

Musing. 

Total. 

FlFTKHNTH  ARMY  COKPS  : 

First  Division  

67 

864 

66 

497 

Second  Division  

62  (in  hosp  ) 

62 

Third  Division  

89 

293 

122 

499 

Fourth  Division  

72 

C85 

21 

623 

Total  

1686 

ELEVENTH  ARMY  CORPS: 

87 

145 

81 

263 

Aggregate  Loss  

1,949 

No  report  from  General  Davis's  division,  but  loss  is  small. 
Among  the  killed  were  some  of  our  most  valuable  officers :  Colonels 
Putnam,  Ninety-third  Illinois ;  O'Meara,  Ninetieth  Illinois ;  and  Torrence, 


1863.]  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  385 

Thirtieth  Iowa ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Taft,  of  the  Eleventh  Corps;  and  Major 
Bushnell,  Thirteenth  Illinois. 

Among  the  wounded  are  Brigadier-Generals  Giles  A.  Smith,  Corse,  and 
Matthias ;  Colonel  Eaum ;  Colonel  Waugelin,  Twelfth  Missouri ;  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  Partridge,  Thirteenth  Illinois ;  Major  P.  I.  "Welsh,  Fifty-sixth 
Illinois ;  and  Major  Nathan  McAlla,  Tenth  Iowa. 

Among  the  missing  is  Lieutenant-Colonel  Archer,  Seventeenth  Iowa. 

My  report  is  already  so  long,  that  I  must  forbear  mentioning  acts  of 
individual  merit.  These  will  be  recorded  in  the  reports  of  division  com 
manders,  which  I  will  cheerfully  indorse ;  but  I  must  say  that  it  is  but  jus 
tice  that  colonels  of  regiments,  who  have  so  long  and  so  well  commanded 
brigades,  as  in  the  following  cases,  should  be  commissioned  to  the  -grade 
•which  they  have  filled  with  so  much  usefulness  and  credit  to  the  public 
service,  viz. :  Colonel  J.  K.  Cockerell,  Seventieth  Ohio ;  Colonel  J.  M. 
Loomis,  Twenty-sixth  Illinois ;  Colonel  C.  C.  Walcutt,  Forty-sixth  Ohio ; 
Colonel  J.  A.  Williamson,  Fourth  Iowa ;  Colonel  G.  B.  Raum,  Fifty-sixth 
Illinois ;  Colonel  J.  I.  Alexander,  Fifty-ninth  Indiana. 

My  personal  staff,  as  usual,  have  served  their  country  with  fidelity,  and 
credit  to  themselves,  throughout  these  events,  and  have  received  my  per 
sonal  thanks. 

Inclosed  you  will  please  find  a  map  of  that  part  of  the  battle-field  of 
Chattanooga  fought  over  by  the  troops  under  my  command,  surveyed  and 
drawn  by  Captain  Jenney,  engineer  on  my  staff.  I  have  the  honor  to  be. 
your  obe.dient  servant,  W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Major-  General  commanding. 

[General  Order  No.  6S.J 

WAR  DEPABTMENT,  ADTOTANT-GENEKAI/S  OFFICE,  \ 
WASHINGTON,  February  21,  1864.      f 

PTIBLIO  EESOLTJTION — No.  12. 

Joint  resolution  tendering  the  thanks  of  Congress  to  Major-General  W. 
T.  Sherman  and  others. 

Be  it  resolved  ly  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  tne  United 
States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  and 
of  the  people  of  the  United  States  are  due,  and  that  the  same  are  hereby 
tendered,  to  Major-General  W.  T.  Sherman,  commander  of  the  Department 
and  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  served  under 
him,  for  their  gallant  and  arduous  services  in  marching  to  the  relief  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  for  their  gallantry  and  heroism  in  the  battle 
of  Chattanooga,  which  contributed  in  a  great  degree  to  the  success  of  our 
arms  in  that  glorious  victory. 

Approved  February  19,  1864. 
By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War : 

E.  D.  TOWNSEKD,  Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

25 


386  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE.  [1863. 

On  the  19th  of  December  I  was  at  Bridgeport,  and  gave  all 
the  orders  necessary  for  the  distribution  of  the  four  divisions  of 
the  Fifteenth  Corps  along  the  railroad  from  Stevenson  to  Deca- 
tur,  and  the  part  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  commanded  by  Gen 
eral  Dodge,  along  the  railroad  from  Decatur  to  Nashville,  to 
make  the  needed  repairs,  and  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  cam 
paign  of  the  succeeding  year ;  and  on  the  21st  I  went  up  to 
Nashville,  to  confer  with  General  Grant  and  conclude  the  ar 
rangements  for  the  winter.  At  that  time  General  Grant  was 
under  the  impression  that  the  next  campaign  would  be  up  the 
valley  of  East  Tennessee,  in  the  direction  of  Virginia ;  and  as  it 
was  likely  to  be  the  last  and  most  important  campaign  of  the  war, 
it  became  necessary  to  set  free  as  many  of  the  old  troops  serv 
ing  along  the  Mississippi  Biver  as  possible.  This  was  the  real 
object  and  purpose  of  the  Meridian  campaign,  and  of  Banks's 
expedition  up  Red  River  to  Shreveport  during  that  winter. 


CHAPTEE   XIY. 

MERIDIAN   CAMPAIGN. 
JANUARY  AND  FEBRUARY,    1864. 

THE  winter  of  1863-'64:  opened  very  cold  and  severe ;  and 
it  was  manifest  after  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  November 
25,  1863,  and  the  raising  of  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  December 
5th,  that  military  operations  in  that  quarter  must  in  a  meas 
ure  cease,  or  be  limited  to  Burnside's  force  beyond  Knox 
ville.  On  the  21st  of  December  General  Grant  had  removed 
his  headquarters  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  leaving  General 
George  H.  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  in  command  of  the  Depart 
ment  of  the  Cumberland,  and  of  the  army  round  about  that 
place ;  and  I  was  at  Bridgeport,  with  orders  to  distribute  my 
troops  along  the  railroad  from  Stevenson  to  Decatur,  Alabama, 
and  from  Decatur  up  toward  Nashville. 

General  G.  M.  Dodge,  who  was  in  command  of  the  detach 
ment  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  numbering  about  eight  thousand 
men,  had  not  participated  with  us  in  the  battle  of  Chattanooga, 
but  had  remained  at  and  near  Pulaski,  Tennessee,  engaged  in 
repairing  that  railroad,  as  auxiliary  to  the  main  line  which  led 
from  Nashville  to  Stevenson,  and  Chattanooga.  General  John 
A.  Logan  had  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  by  regular  appointment  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  had  relieved  General  Frank  P.  Blair,  who  had  been 
temporarily  in  command  of  that  corps  during  the  Chattanooga 
and  Knoxville  movement. 

At  that  time  I  was  in  command  of  the  Department  of  the 
Tennessee,  which  embraced  substantially  the  territory  on  the 


388  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  Biver,  from  Natchez  up  to  the 
Ohio  River,  and  thence  along  the  Tennessee  Biver  as  high  as 
Decatur  and  Bellefonte,  Alabama.  General  McPherson  was 
at  Yicksburg  and  General  Hurlbut  at  Memphis,  and  from 
them  I  had  the  regular  reports  of  affairs  in  that  quarter  of  my 
command.  The  rebels  still  maintained  a  considerable  force 
of  infantry  and  cavalry  in  the  State  of  Mississippi,  threatening 
the  river,  whose  navigation  had  become  to  us  so  delicate  and 
important  a  matter.  Satisfied  that  I  could  check  this  by  one  or 
two  quick  moves  inland,  and  thereby  set  free  a  considerable 
body  of  men  held  as  local  garrisons,  I  went  up  to  Nashville 
and  represented  the  case  to  General  Grant,  who  consented  that 
I  might  go  down  the  Mississippi  Biver,  where  the  bulk  of  my 
command  lay,  and  strike  a  blow  on  the  east  of  the  river,  while 
General  Banks  from  New  Orleans  should  in  like  manner  strike 
another  to  the  west;  thus  preventing  any  further  molestation 
of  the  boats  navigating  the  main  river,  and  thereby  widening 
the  gap  in  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

After  having  given  all  the  necessary  orders  for  the  distribu 
tion,  during  the  winter  months,  of  that  part  of  my  command 
which  was  in  Southern  and  Middle  Tennessee,  I  went  to  Cin 
cinnati  and  Lancaster,  Ohio,  to  spend  Christmas  with  my  family ; 
and  on  my  return  I  took  Minnie  with  me  down  to  a  convent  at 
Beading,  near  Cincinnati,  where  I  left  her,  and  took  the  cars  for 
Cairo,  Illinois,  which  I  reached  January  3d,  a  very  cold  and 
bitter  day.  The  ice  was  forming  fast,  and  there  was  great 
danger  that  the  Mississippi  Biver  would  become  closed  to  navi 
gation.  Admiral  Porter,  who  was  at  Cairo,  gave  me  a  small 
gunboat  (the  Juliet),  with  which  I  went  up  to  Paducah,  to 
inspect  that  place,  garrisoned  by  a  small  force,  commanded  by 
Colonel  S.  G.  Hicks,  Fortieth  Illinois,  who  had  been  with  me 
and  was  severely  wounded  at  Shiloh.  Beturning  to  Cairo, 
we  started  down  the  Mississippi  Biver,  which  was  full  of  float 
ing  ice.  With  the  utmost  difficulty  we  made  our  way  through 
it,  for  hours  floating  in  the  midst  of  immense  cakes,  that  chafed 
and  ground  our  boat  so  that  at  times  we  were  in  danger  of 
sinking.  But  about  the  10th  of  January  we  reached  Memphis, 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  389 

where  I  found  General  Hurlbtit,  and  explained  to  him  my 
purpose  to  collect  from  his  garrisons  and  those  of  McPherson 
about  twenty  thousand  men,  with  which  in  February  to  march 
out  from  Yicksburg  as  far  as  Meridian,  break  up  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  Railroad,  and  also  the  one  leading  from  Yicksburg  to 
Selma,  Alabama.  I  instructed  him  to  select  two  good  divisions, 
and  to  be  ready  with  them  to  go  along.  At  Memphis  I  found 
Brigadier-General  "W.  Sooy  Smith,  with  a  force  of  about  twenty- 
five  hundred  cavalry,  which  he  had  by  General  Grant's  orders 
brought  across  from  Middle  Tennessee,  to  assist  in  our  general 
purpose,  as  well  as  to  punish  the  rebel  General  Forrest,  who 
had  been  most  active  in  harassing  our  garrisons  in  West  Ten 
nessee  and  Mississippi. 

After  staying  a  couple  of  days  at  Memphis,  we  continued  on 
in  the  gunboat  Silver  Cloud  to  Yicksburg,  where  I  found 
General  McPherson,  and,  giving  him  similar  orders,  instructed 
him  to  send  out  spies  to  ascertain  and  bring  back  timely  in 
formation  of  the  strength  and  location  of  the  enemy.  The 
winter  continued  so  severe  that  the  river  at  Yicksburg  was  full 
of  floating  ice,  but  in  the  Silver  Cloud  we  breasted  it  manfully, 
and  got  back  to  Memphis  by  the  20th.  A  chief  part  of  the 
enterprise  was  to  destroy  the  rebel  cavalry  commanded  by 
General  Forrest,  who  were  a  constant  threat  to  our  railway 
communications  in  Middle  Tennessee,  and  I  committed  this  task 
to  Brigadier-General  W.  Sooy  Smith.  General  Hurlbut  had  in 
his  command  about  seven  thousand  five  hundred  cavalry,  scat 
tered  from  Columbus,  Kentucky,  to  Corinth,  Mississippi,  and  we 
proposed  to  make  up  an  aggregate  cavalry  force  of  about  seven 
thousand  "effective,"  out  of  these  and  the  twenty-five  hundred 
which  General  Smith  had  brought  with  him  from  Middle 
Tennessee.  With  this  force  General  Smith  was  ordered  to  move 
from  Memphis  straight  for  Meridian,  Mississippi,  and  to  start 
by  February  1st.  I  explained  to  him  personally. the  nature  of 
Forrest  as  a  man,  and  of  his  peculiar  force ;  told  him  that  in 
his  route  he  was  sure  to  encounter  Forrest,  who  always  attacked 
with  a  vehemence  for  which  he  must  be  prepared,  and  that, 
after  he  had  repelled  the  first  attack,  he  must  in  turn  assume 


390  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

the  most  determined  offensive,  overwhelm  him  and  utterly 
destroy  his  whole  force.  I  knew  that  Forrest  could  not  have 
more  than  four  thousand  cavalry,  and  my  own  movement  would 
give  employment  to  every  other  man  of  the  rebel  army  not  im 
mediately  present  with  him,  so  that  he  (General  Smith)  might 
safely  act  on  the  hypothesis  I  have  stated. 

Having  completed  all  these  preparations  in  Memphis,  being 
satisfied  that  the  cavalry  force  would  be  ready  to  start  by  the 
1st  of  February,  and  having  seen  General  Hurlbut  with  his  two 
divisions  embark  in  steamers  for  Yicksburg,  I  also  reembarked 
for  the  same  destination  on  the  27th  of  January. 

On  the  1st  of  February  we  rendezvoused  in  Yicksburg, 
where  I  found  a  spy  who  had  been  sent  out  two  weeks  before, 
had  been  to  Meridian,  and  brought  back  correct  information  of 
the  state  of  facts  in  the  interior  of  Mississippi.  Lieutenant- 
General  (Bishop)  Polk  was  in  chief  command,  with  headquarters 
at  Meridian,  and  had  two  divisions  of  infantry,  one  of  which 
(General  Loring's)  was  posted  at  Canton,  Mississippi,  the  other 
(General  French's)  at  Brandon.  He  had  also  two  divisions  of 
cavalry — Armstrong's,  composed  of  the  three  brigades  of  Ross, 
Stark,  and  Wirt  Adams,  which  were  scattered  from  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Yazoo  City  to  Jackson  and  below ;  and  Forrest's, 
which  was  united,  toward  Memphis,  with  headquarters  at  Como. 
General  Polk  seemed  to  have  no  suspicion  of  our  intentions  to 
disturb  his  serenity. 

Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of  February  3d,  we  started  in 
two  columns,  each  of  two  divisions,  preceded  by  a  light  force  of 
cavalry,  commanded  by  Colonel  E.  F.  "Wmslow.  General  Mc- 
Pherson  commanded  the  right  column,  and  General  Hurlbut  the 
left.  The  former  crossed  the  Big  Black  at  the  railroad-bridge, 
and  the  latter  seven  miles  above,  at  Messinger's.  We  were 
lightly  equipped  as  to  wagons,  and  marched  without  deployment 
straight  for  Meridian,  distant  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  We 
struck  the  rebel  cavalry  beyond  the  Big  Black,  and  pushed  them 
pell-mell  into  and  beyond  Jackson  during  the  6th.  The  next 
day  we  reached  Brandon,  and  on  the  9th  Morton,  where  we  per 
ceived  signs  of  an  infantry  concentration,  but  the  enemy  did  not 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN".  391 

give  us  battle,  and  retreated  before  us.  The  rebel  cavalry  were 
all  around  us,  so  we  kept  our  columns  compact  and  offered 
few  or  no  chances  for  their  dashes.  As  far  as  Morton  we  had 
occupied  two  roads,  but  there  we  were  forced  into  one.  Toward 
evening  of  the  12th,  Hurlbut's  column  passed  through  Decatur, 
with  orders  to  go  into  camp  four  miles  beyond  at  a  creek. 
McPherson's  head  of  column  was  some  four  miles  behind,  and  I 
personally  detached  one  of  Hurlbut's  regiments  to  guard  the 
cross-roads  at  Decatur  till  the  head  of  McPherson's  column  should 
come  in  sight.  Intending  to  spend  the  night  in  Decatur,  I  went 
to  a  double  log-house,  and  arranged  with  the  lady  for  some 
supper.  We  unsaddled  our  horses,  tied  them  to  the  fence  in 
side  the  yard,  and,  being  tired,  I  lay  down  on  a  bed  and  fell 
asleep.  Presently  I  heard  shouts  and  hallooing,  and  then  heard 
pistol-shots  close  to  the  house.  My  aide,  Major  Audenried, 
called  me  and  said  we  were  attacked  by  rebel  cavalry,  who 
were  all  around  us.  I  jumped  up  and  inquired  where  was  the 
regiment  of  infantry  I  had  myself  posted  at  the  cross-roads. 
He  said  a  few  moments  before  it  had  marched  past  the  house, 
following  the  road  by  which  General  Hurlbut  had  gone,  and  I 
told  him  to  run,  overtake  it,  and  bring  it  back.  Meantime,  I 
went  out  into  the  back-yard,  saw  wagons  passing  at  a  run 
down  the  road,  and  horsemen  dashing  about  in  a  cloud  of  dust, 
firing  their  pistols,  their  shots  reaching  the  house  in  which  we 
were.  Gathering  the  few  orderlies  and  clerks  that  were  about, 
I  was  preparing  to  get  into  a  corn-crib  at  the  back  side  of 
the  lot,  wherein  to  defend  ourselves,  when  I  saw  Audenried 
coming  back  with  the  regiment,  on  a  run,  deploying  forward  as 
they  came.  This  regiment  soon  cleared  the  place  and  drove  the 
rebel  cavalry  back  toward  the  south,  whence  they  had  come. 

It  transpired  that  the  colonel  of  this  infantry  regiment,  whose 
name  I  do  not  recall,  had  seen  some  officers  of  McPherson's 
staff  (among  them  Inspector-General  Strong)  coming  up  the  road 
at  a  gallop,  raising  a  cloud  of  dust ;  supposing  them  to  be  the 
head  of  McPherson's  column,  and  being  anxious  to  get  into 
camp  before  dark,  he  had  called  in  his  pickets  and  started 
down  the  road,  leaving  me  perfectly  exposed.  Some  straggling 


392  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN".  [1864. 

wagons,  escorted  by  a  New  Jersey  regiment,  were  passing  at  the 
time,  and  composed  the  rear  of  Hurlbut's  train.  The  rebel  cav 
alry,  seeing  the  road  clear  of  troops,  and  these  wagons  passing, 
struck  them  in  flank,  shot  down  the  mules  of  three  or  four  wag 
ons,  broke  the  column,  and  began  a  general  skirmish.  The 
escort  defended  their  wagons  as  well  as  they  could,  and  thus 
diverted  their  attention  ;  otherwise  I  would  surely  have  been 
captured.  In  a  short  time  the  head  of  McPherson's  column 
came  up,  went  into  camp,  and  we  spent  the  night  in  Decatur. 

The  next  day  we  pushed  on,  and  on  the  14th  entered  Me 
ridian,  the  enemy  retreating  before  us  toward  Demopolis,  Ala 
bama.  We  at  once  set  to  work  to  destroy  an  arsenal,  immense 
storehouses,  and  the  railroad  in  every  direction.  We  staid  in 
Meridian  five  days,  expecting  every  hour  to  hear  of  General  Sooy 
Smith,  but  could  get  no  tidings  of  him  whatever.  A  large 
force  of  infantry  was  kept  at  work  all  the  time  in  breaking  up 
the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad  south  and  north  ;  also  the  Jack 
son  &  Selma  Railroad,  east  and  west.  I  was  determined  to 
damage  these  roads  so  that  they  could  not  be  used  again  for 
hostile  purposes  during  the  rest  of  the  war.  I  never  had  the 
remotest  idea  of  going  to  Mobile,  but  had  purposely  given  out 
that  idea  to  the  people  of  the  country,  so  as  to  deceive  the  en 
emy  and  to  divert  their  attention.  Many  persons  still  insist  that, 
because  we  did  not  go  to  Mobile  on  this  occasion,  I  had  failed  ; 
but  in  the  following  letter  to  General  Banks,  of  January  31st, 
written  from  Yicksburg  before  starting  for  Meridian,  it  will  be 
seen  clearly  that  I  indicated  my  intention  to  keep  up  the  delusion 
of  an  attack  on  Mobile  by  land,  whereas  I  promised  him  to  be 
back  to  Yicksburg  by  the  1st  of  March,  so  as  to  cooperate  with 
him  in  his  contemplated  attack  on  Shreveport  : 


HEADQFABTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  TE>ryEssEE,  ) 
VICKSBUBG,  January  31,  18&4.  J 

Major-  General  N.  P.  BANKS,  commanding  Department  of  the  Gulf,  New 

Orleans. 

GENEEAI,:  I  received  yesterday,  at  the  hands  of  Captain  Dunham,  aide- 
de-camp,  your  letter  of  the  25th  inst.,  and  hasten  to  reply.  Captain  Dun 
ham  has  gone  to  the  mouth  of  "White  Kiver,  en  route  for  Little  Rock,  and 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  393 

the  other  officers  who  accompanied  him  have  gone  up  to  Cairo,  as  I  under 
stand,  to  charter  twenty-five  steamboats  for  the  Red  River  trip.  The 
Mississippi  River,  though  low  for  the  season,  is  free  of  ice  and  in  good  boat 
ing  order ;  but  I  understand  that  Red  River  is  still  low.  I  had  a  man  in 
from  Alexandria  yesterday,  who  reported  the  falls  or  rapids  at  that  place 
impassable  save  by  the  smallest  boats.  My  inland  expedition  is  now  moving, 
and  I  will  be  off  for  Jackson  and  Meridian  to-morrow.  The  only  fear  I 
have  is  in  the  weather.  All  the  other  combinations  are  good.  I  want  to 
keep  up  the  delusion  of  an  attack  on  Mobile  and  the  Alabama  River,  and 
therefore  would  be  obliged  if  you  would  keep  up  an  irritating  foraging  or 
other  expedition  in  that  direction. 

My  orders  from  General  Grant  will  not,  as  yet,  justify  me  in  embarking 
for  Red  River,  though  I  am  very  anxious  to  move  in  that  direction.  The 
moment  I  learned  that  you  were  preparing  for  it,  I  sent  a  communication 
to  Admiral  Porter,  and  dispatched  to  General  Grant  at  Chattanooga,  asking 
if  he  wanted  me  and  Steele  to  cooperate  with  you  against  Shreveport ;  and 
I  will  have  his  answer  in  time,  for  you  cannot  do  any  thing  till  Red 
River  has  twelve  feet  of  water  on  the  rapids  at  Alexandria.  That  will  be 
from  March  to  June.  I  have  lived  on  Red  River,  and  know  somewhat  of 
the  phases  of  that  stream.  The  expeditfon  on  Shreveport  should  be  made 
rapidly,  with  simultaneous  movements  from  Little  Rock  on  Shreveport, 
from  Opelousas  on  Alexandria,  and  a  combined  force  of  gunboats  and  trans 
ports  directly  up  Red  Riven  Admiral  Porter  will  be  able  to  have  a  splendid 
fleet  by  March  1st.  I  think  Steele  could  move  with  ten  thousand  infantry 
and  five  thousand  cavalry.  I  could  take  about  ten  thousand,  and  you  could, 
I  suppose,  have  the  same.  Your  movement  from  Opelousas,  simultaneous 
with  mine  up  the  river,  would  compel  Dick  Taylor  to  leave  Fort  De  Russy 
(near  Marksville),  and  the  whole  combined  force  eould  appear  at  Shreve 
port  about  a  day  appointed  beforehand. 

I  doubt  if  the  enemy  will  risk  a  siege  at  Shreveport,  although  I  am  in 
formed  they  are  fortifying  the  place,  and  placing  many  heavy  guns  in  posi 
tion.  It  would  be  better  for  us  that  they  should  stand  there,  as  we  might 
make  large  and  important  captures.  But  I  do  not  believe  the  enemy  will 
fight  a  force  of  thirty  thousand  men,  acting  in  concert  with  gunboats. 

I  will  be  most  happy  to  take  part  in  the  proposed  expedition,  and  hope, 
before  you  have  made  your  final  dispositions,  that  I  will  have  the  necessary 
permission.  Half  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  is  near  the  Tennessee  River, 
beyond  Huntsville,  Alabama,  awaiting  the  completion  of  the  railroad,  and, 
by  present  orders,  I  will  be  compelled  to  hasten  there  to  command  it  in 
person,  unless  meantime  General  Grant  modifies  the  plan.  I  have  now  in 
this  department  only  the  force  left  to  hold  the  river  and  the  posts,  and  I  am 
seriously  embarrassed  by  the  promises  made  the  veteran  volunteers  for  fur 
lough.  I  think,  by  March  1st,  I  can  put  afloat  for  Shreveport  ten  thousand 


394:  MEEIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

men,  provided  I  succeed  in  my  present  movement  in  cleaning  out  the  State 
of  Mississippi,  and  in  breaking  up  the  railroads  about  Meridian. 
I  am,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHEBMAN,  Major-  General  commanding. 

The  object  of  the  Meridian  expedition  was  to  strike  the 
roads  inland,  so  to  paralyze  the  rebel  forces  that  we  could  take 
from  the  defense  of  the  Mississippi  River  the  equivalent  of  a 
corps  of  twenty  thousand  men,  to  be  used  in  the  next  Georgia 
campaign ;  and  this  was  actually  done.  At  the  same  time,  I 
wanted  to  destroy  General  Forrest,  who,  with  an  irregular  force 
of  cavalry,  was  constantly  threatening  Memphis  and  the  river 
above,  as  well  as  our  routes  of  supply  in  Middle  Tennessee.  In 
this  we  failed  utterly,  because  General  ~W.  Sooy  Smith  did  not 
fulfill  his  orders,  which  were  clear  and  specific,  as  contained  in 
my  letter  of  instructions  to  him  of  January  27th,  at  Memphis, 
and  my  personal  explanations  to  him  at  the  same  time.  In 
stead  of  starting  at  the  date  ordered,  February  1st,  he  did  not 
leave  Memphis  till  the  llth,  waiting  for  some  regiment  that 
was  ice-bound  near  Columbus,  Kentucky;  and  then,  when  he 
did  start,  he  allowed  General  Forrest  to  head  him  off  and  to  de 
feat  him  with  an  inferior  force,  near  West  Point,  below  Oka- 
lona,  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad. 

We  waited  at  Meridian  till  the  20th  to  hear  from  General 
Smith,  but  hearing'  nothing  whatever,  and  having  utterly  de 
stroyed  the  railroads  in  and  around  that  junction,  I  ordered  Gen 
eral  McPherson  to  move  back  slowly  toward  Canton.  "With  Win- 
slow's  cavalry,  and  Hurlbut's  infantry,  I  turned  north  to  Marion, 
and  thence  to  a  place  called  "  Union,"  whence  I  dispatched  the 
cavalry  farther  north  to  Philadelphia  and  Louisville,  to  feel  as 
it  were  for  General  Smith,  and  then  turned  all  the  infantry  col 
umns  toward  Canton,  Mississippi.  On  the  26th  we  all  reached 
Canton,  but  we  had  not  heard  a  word  of  General  Smith,  nor 
was  it  until  some  time  after  (at  Yicksburg)  that  I  learned  the 
whole  truth  of  General  Smith's  movement  and  of  his  failure. 
Of  course  I  did  not  and  could  not  approve  of  his  conduct,  and  I 
know  that  he  yet  chafes  under  the  censure.  I  had  set  so  much 
store  on  his  part  of  the  project  that  I  was  disappointed,  and  so 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  395 

reported  officially  to  General  Grant.  General  Smith  never  re 
gained  my  confidence  as  a  soldier,  though  I  still  regard  him  as 
a  most  accomplished  gentleman  and  a  skillful  engineer.  Since 
the  close  of  the  war  he  has  appealed  to  me  to  relieve  him  of  that 
censure,  but  I  could  not  do  it,  because  it  would  falsify  history. 

Having  assembled  all  my  troops  in  and  about  Canton,  on 
the  27th  of  February  I  left  them  under  the  command  of  the 
senior  major-general,  Hurlbut,  with  orders  to  remain  till  about 
the  3d  of  March,  and  then  to  come  into  Yicksburg  leisurely ; 
and,  escorted  by  Winslow's  cavalry,  I  rode  into  Vicksburg  on 
the  last  day  of  February.  There  I  found  letters  from  Gen 
eral  Grant,  at  Nashville,  and  General  Banks,  at  New  Orleans, 
concerning  his  (General  Banks's)  projected  movement  up  Red 
River.  I  was  authorized  by  the  former  to  contribute  aid  to 
General  Banks  for  a  limited  time ;  but  General  Grant  insisted 
on  my  returning  in  person  to  my  own  command  about  Hunts- 
ville,  Alabama,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  prepare  for  the  spring 
campaign. 

About  this  time  we  were  much  embarrassed  by  a  general 
order  of  the  War  Department,  promising  a  thirty-days  furlough 
to  all  soldiers  who  would  "  veteranize  " — viz.,  reenlist  for  the 
rest  of  the  war.  This  was  a  judicious  and  wise  measure,  be 
cause  it  doubtless  secured  the  services  of  a  very  large  portion  of 
the  men  who  had  almost  completed  a  three-years  enlistment, 
and  were  therefore  veteran  soldiers  in  feeling  and  in  habit. 
But  to  furlough  so  many  of  our  men  at  that  instant  of  time 
was  like  disbanding  an  army  in  the  very  midst  of  battle. 

In  order  to  come  to  a  perfect  understanding  with  General 
Banks,  I  took  the  steamer  Diana  and  ran  down  to  New  Orleans 
to  see  him.  Among  the  many  letters  which  I  found  in  Yicks 
burg  on  my  return  from  Meridian  was  one  from  Captain  D.  F. 
Boyd,  of  Louisiana,  written  from  the  jail  in  Natchez,  telling 
me  that  he  was  a  prisoner  of  war  in  our  hands  ;  had  been  cap 
tured  in  Louisiana  by  some  of  our  scouts ;  and  he  bespoke  my 
friendly  assistance.  Boyd  was  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages 
at  the  Louisiana  Seminary  of  Learning  during  my  administra 
tion  in  1859-'60 ;  was  an  accomplished  scholar,  of  moderate 


396  MERIDIAN"  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

views  in  politics,  but,  being  a  Yirginian,  was  drawn,  like  all 
others  of  his  kind,  into  the  vortex  of  the  rebellion  by  the 
events  of  1861,  which  broke  up  colleges  and  every  thing  at  the 
South.  Natchez,  at  this  time,  was  in  my  command,  and  was 
held  by  a  strong  division,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  J. 
W.  Davidson.  In  the  Diana  we  stopped  at  Natchez,  and  I 
made  a  hasty  inspection  of  the  place.  I  sent  for  Boyd,  who  was 
in  good  health,  but  quite  dirty,  and  begged  me  to  take  him  out 
of  prison,  and  to  effect  his  exchange.  I  receipted  for  him ;  took 
him  along  with  me  to  New  Orleans ;  offered  him  money,  which 
he  declined ;  allowed  him  to  go  free  in  the  city ;  and  obtained 
from  General  Banks  a  promise  to  effect  his  exchange,  which 
was  afterward  done.  Boyd  is  now  my  legitimate  successor  in 
Louisiana,  viz.,  President  of  the  Louisiana  University,  which  is 
the  present  title  of  what  had  been  the  Seminary  of  Learning. 
After  the  war  was  over,  Boyd  went  back  to  Alexandria,  reor 
ganized  the  old  institution,  which  I  visited  in  1866 ;  but  the 
building  was  burnt  down  by  an  accident  or  by  an  incendiary 
about  1868,  and  the  institution  was  then  removed  to  Baton 
Rouge,  where  it  now  is,  under  its  new  title  of  the  University 
of  Louisiana. 

We  reached  New  Orleans  on  the  2d  of  March.  I  found 
General  Banks,  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  living  in  a  good 
house,  and  he  explained  to  me  fully  the  position  and  strength  of 
his  troops,  and  his  plans  of  action  for  the  approaching  campaign. 
I  dined  with  him,  and,  rough  as  I  was — just  out  of  the  woods 
— attended,  that  night,  a  very  pleasant  party  at  the  house  of  a 
lady,  whose  name  I  cannot  recall,  but  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
Captain  Arnold,  Fifth  United  States  Artillery.  At  this  party 
were  also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Howe.  1  found  New  Orleans 
much  changed  since  I  had  been  familiar  with  it  in  1853  and  in 
1860-'61.  It  was  full  of  officers  and  soldiers.  Among  the 
former  were  General  T.  ~W.  Sherman,  who  had  lost  a  leg  at 
Port  Hudson,  and  General  Charles  P.  Stone,  whom  I  knew  so 
well  in  California,  and  who  is  now  in  the  Egyptian  service  as 
chief  of  staff.  The  bulk  of  General  Banks's  army  was  about 
Opelousas,  under  command  of  General  Franklin,  ready  to  move 


1864.]  HEKIDIAtf  CAMPAIGN.  397 

on  Alexandria.  General  Banks  seemed  to  be  all  ready,  "but  in 
tended  to  delay  his  departure  a  few  days  to  assist  in  the  inau 
guration  of  a  civil  government  for  Louisiana,  under  Governor 
Hahn.  In  Lafayette  Square  I  saw  the  arrangements  of  scaf 
folding  for  the  fireworks  and  benches  for  the  audience.  General 
Banks  urged  me  to  remain  over  the  4th  of  March,  to  participate 
in  the  ceremonies,  which  he  explained  would  include  the  per 
formance  of  the  "  Anvil  Chorus  "  by  all  the  bands  of  his  army, 
and  during  the  performance  the  church-bells  were  to  be  rung, 
and  cannons  were  to  be  fired  by  electricity.  I  regarded  all  such 
ceremonies  as  out  of  place  at  a  time  when  it  seemed  to  me  every 
hour  and  every  minute  were  due  to  the  war.  General  Banks's 
movement,  however,  contemplated  my  sending  a  force  of  ten 
thousand  men  in  boats  up  Ked  Eiver  from  Vicksburg,  and  that 
a  junction  should  occur  at  Alexandria  by  March  17th.  I  there 
fore  had  no  time  to  wait  for  the  grand  pageant  of  the  4th  of 
March,  but  took  my  departure  from  ~New  Orleans  in  the  Diana 
the  evening  of  March  3d. 

On  the  next  day,  March  4th,  I  wrote  to  General  Banks  a 
letter,  which  was  extremely  minute  in  conveying  to  him  how 
far  I  felt  authorized  to  go  under  my  orders  from  General  Grant. 
At  that  time  General  Grant  commanded  the  Military  Division 
of  the  Mississippi,  embracing  my  own  Department  of  the  Ten 
nessee  and  that  of  General  Steele  in  Arkansas,  but  not  that  of 
General  Banks  in  Louisiana.  General  Banks  was  acting  on  his 
own  powers,  or  under  the  instructions  of  General  Halleck  in 
Washington,  and  our  assistance  to  him  was  designed  as  a  loan  of 
ten  thousand  men  for  a  period  of  thirty  days.  The  instructions  of 
March  6th  to  General  A.  J.  Smith,  who  commanded  this  detach 
ment,  were  full  and  explicit  on  this  point.  The  Diana  reached 
Vicksburg  on  the  6th,  where  I  found  that  the  expeditionary 
army  had  come  in  from  Canton.  One  division  of  five  thousand 
men  was  made  up  out  of  Hurlbut's  command,  and  placed  under 
Brigadier-General  T.  Kilby  Smith ;  and  a  similar  division  was 
made  out  of  McPherson's  and  Hurlbut's  troops,  and  placed  under 
Brigadier-General  Joseph  A.  Mower ;  the  whole  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  A.  J.  Smith.  General  Hurlbut,  with  the  rest 


398  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

of  his  command,  returned  to  Memphis,  and  General  McPherson 
remained  at  Yicksburg.  General  A.  J.  Smith's  command  was 
in  due  season  embarked,  and  proceeded  to  Red  River,  which 
it  ascended,  convoyed  by  Admiral  Porter's  fleet.  General 
Mower's  division  was  landed  near  the  outlet  of  the  Atchafalaya, 
marched  up  by  land  and  captured  the  fort  below  Alexandria 
known  as  Fort  De  Russy,  and  the  whole  fleet  then  proceeded 
up  to  Alexandria,  reaching  it  on  the  day  appointed,  viz.,  March 
17th,  where  it  waited  for  the  arrival  of  General  Banks,  who, 
however,  did  not  come  till  some  days  after.  These  two  divi 
sions  participated  in  the  whole  of  General  Banks's  unfortunate 
Red  River  expedition,  and  were  delayed  so  long  up  Red  River, 
and  subsequently  on  the  Mississippi,  that  they  did  not  share 
with  their  comrades  the  successes  and  glories  of  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  for  which  I  had  designed  them  ;  and,  indeed,  they 
did  not  join  our  army  till  just  in  time  to  assist  General  George 
H.  Thomas  to  defeat  General  Hood  before  Nashville,  on  the 
15th  and  16th  of  December,  1864. 

General  Grant's  letter  of  instructions,  which  was  brought  me 
by  General  Butterfield,  who  had  followed  me  to  !New  Orleans, 
enjoined  on  me,  after  concluding  with  General  Banks  the  de 
tails  for  his  Red  River  expedition,  to  make  all  necessary  arrange 
ments  for  furloughing  the  men  entitled  to  that  privilege,  and  to 
hurry  back  to  the  army  at  Huntsville,  Alabama.  I  accordingly 
gave  the  necessary  orders  to  General  McPherson,  at  Yicksburg, 
and  continued  up  the  river  toward  Memphis.  On  our  way  we 
met  Captain  Badeau,  of  General  Grant's  staff,  bearing  the  fol 
lowing  letter,  of  March  4th,  which  I  answered  on  the  10th,  and 
sent  the  answer  by  General  Butterfield,  who  had  accompanied 
me  up  from  New  Orleans.  Copies  of  both  were  also  sent  to 
General  McPherson,  at  Yicksburg. 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE,  March  4,  1864. 

DEAR  SHERMAN  :  The  bill  reviving  the  grade  of  lieutenant-general  in  the 
army  has  become  a  law,  and  my  name  has  been  sent  to  the  Senate  for  the 
place. 

I  now  receive  orders  to  report  at  "Washington  immediately,  in  person, 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  399 

which  indicates  either  a  confirmation  or  a  likelihood  of  confirmation.  I 
start  in  the  morning  to  comply  with  the  order,  but  I  shall  say  very  dis 
tinctly  on  my  arrival  there  that  I  shall  accept  no  appointment  which  will 
require  me  to  make  that  city  my  headquarters.  This,  however,  is  not  what 
I  started  out  to  write  ahout. 

"While  I  have  heen  eminently  successful  in  this  war,  in  at  least  gaining 
the  confidence  of  the  public,  no  one  feels  more  than  I  how  much  of  this 
success  is  due  to  the  energy,  skill,  and  the  harmonious  putting  forth  of  that 
energy  and  skill,  of  those  whom  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  have  occu 
pying  subordinate  positions  under  me. 

There  are  many  officers  to  whom  these  remarks  are  applicable  to  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  proportionate  to  their  ability  as  soldiers ;  but  what  I 
want  is  to  express  my  thanks  to  you  and  McPherson,  as  the  men  to  whom, 
above  all  others,  I  feel  indebted  for  whatever  I  have  had  of  success.  How 
far  your  advice  and  suggestions  have  been  of  assistance,  you  know.  How 
far  your  execution  of  whatever  has  been  given  you  to  do  entitles  you  to  the 
reward  I  am  receiving,  you  cannot  know  as  well  as  I  do.  I  feel  all  the 
gratitude  this  letter  would  express,  giving  it  the  most  flattering  construc 
tion. 

The  word  you  I  use  in  the  plural,  intending  it  for  McPherson  also.  I 
should  write  to  him,  and  will  some  day,  but,  starting  in  the  morning,  I  do 
not  know  that  I  will  find  time  just  now.  Your  friend, 

U.  S.  GBANT,  Major- General. 

[PRIVATE  AND  CONFIDENTIAL.] 

NEAR  MEMPHIS,  March  10, 1864. 
General  GKANH 

DEAE  GENERAL  :  I  have  your  more  than  kind  and  characteristic  letter  of 
the  4th,  and  will  send  a  copy  of  it  to  General  McPherson  at  once. 

You  do  yourself  injustice  and  us  too  much  honor  in  assigning  to  us  so 
large  a  share  of  the  merits  which  have  led  to  your  high  advancement.  I 
know  you  approve  the  friendship  I  have  ever  professed  to  you,  and  will 
permit  me  to  continue  as  heretofore  to  manifest  it  on  all  proper  occasions. 

You  are  now  Washington's  legitimate  successor,  and  occupy  a  position 
of  almost  dangerous  elevation ;  but  if  you  can  continue  as  heretofore  to  be 
yourself,  simple,  honest,  and  unpretending,  you  will  enjoy  through  life  the 
respect  and  love  of  friends,  and  the  homage  of  millions  of  human  beings 
who  will  award  to  you  a  large  share  for  securing  to  them  and  their  de 
scendants  a  government  of  law  and  stability. 

I  repeat,  you  do  General  McPherson  and  myself  too  much  honor.  At 
Belmont  you  manifested  your  traits,  neither  of  us  being  near ;  at  Donelson 
also  you  illustrated  your  whole  character.  I  was  not  near,  and  General 
McPherson  in  too  subordinate  a  capacity  to  influence  you. 


400  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

Until  you  had  won  Donelson,  I  confess  I  was  almost  cowed  by  the 
terrible  array  of  anarchical  elements  that  presented  themselves  at  every 
point ;  but  that  victory  admitted  the  ray  of  light  which  I  have  followed 
ever  since. 

I  believe  you  are  as  brave,  patriotic,  and  just,  as  the  great  prototype 
Washington ;  as  unselfish,  kind-hearted,  and  honest,  as  a  man  should  be ; 
but  the  chief  characteristic  in  your  nature  is  the  simple  faith  in  success  you 
have  always  manifested,  which  I  can  liken  to  nothing  else  than  the  faith  a 
Christian  has  in  his  Saviour. 

This  faith  gave  you  victory  at  Shiloh  and  Yicksburg.  Also,  when  you 
have  completed  your  best  preparations,  you  go  into  battle  without  hesita 
tion,  as  at  Chattanooga — no  doubts,  no  reserve ;  and  I  tell  you  that  it  was 
this  that  made  us  act  with  confidence.  I  knew  wherever  I  was  that 
you  thought  of  me,  and  if  I  got  in  a  tight  place  you  would  come — if  alive. 
.  My  only  points  of  doubt  were  as  to  your  knowledge  of  grand  strategy, 
and  of  books  of  science  and  history ;  but  I  confess  your  common-sense  seems 
to  have  supplied  all  this. 

Now  as  to  the  future.  Do  not  stay  in  "Washington.  Halleck  is  better 
qualified  than  you  are  to  stand  the  buffets  of  intrigue  and  policy.  Come 
out  West ;  take  to  yourself  the  whole  Mississippi  Valley ;  let  us  make  it 
dead-sure,  and  I  tell  you  the  Atlantic  slope  and  Pacific  shores  will  follow 
its  destiny  as  sure  as  the  limbs  of  a  tree  live  or  die  with  the  main  trunk ! 
We  have  done  much  ;  still  much  remains  to  be  done.  Time  and  tune's 
influences  are  all  with  us  ;  we  could  almost  afford  to  sit  still  and  let  these 
influences  work.  Even  in  the  seceded  States  your  word  now  would  go  fur 
ther  than  a  President's  proclamation,  or  an  act  of  Congress. 

For  God's  sake  and  for  your  country's  sake,  come  out  of  Washington !  I 
foretold  to  General  Halleck,  before  he  left  Corinth,  the  inevitable  result  to 
him,  and  I  now  exhort  you  to  come  out  West.  Here  lies  the  seat  of  the 
coming  empire ;  and  from  the  West,  when  our  task  is  done,  we  will  make 
short  work  of  Charleston  and  Richmond,  and  the  impoverished  coast  of 
the  Atlantic.  Your  sincere  friend, 

W.  T.  SHEEMAN. 

We  readied  Memphis  on  the  13th,  where  I  remained  some 
days,  but  on  the  14th  of  March  received  from  General  Grant 
a  dispatch  to  hurry  to  Nashville  in  person  by  the  17th,  if  pos 
sible.  Disposing  of  all  matters  then  pending,  I  took  a  steam 
boat  to  Cairo,  the  cars  thence  to  Louisville  and  Nashville,  reach 
ing  that  place  on  the  17th  of  March,  1864. 

I  found  General  Grant  there.  He  had  been  to  Washington 
and  back,  and  was  ordered  to  return  East  to  command  all  the 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  401 

armies  of  the  United  States,  and  personally  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  I  was  to  succeed  him  in  command  of  the  Military 
Division  of  the  Mississippi,  embracing  the  Departments  of  the 
Ohio,  Cumberland,  Tennessee,  and  Arkansas.  General  Grant 
was  of  course  very  busy  in  winding  up  all  matters  of  business, 
in  transf erring  his  command  to  me,  and  in  preparing  for  what 
was  manifest  would  be  the  great  and  closing  campaign  of  our 
civil  war.  Mrs.  Grant  and  some  of  their  children  were  with 
him,  and  occupied  a  large  house  in  Nashville,  which  was  used 
as  an  office,  dwelling,  and  every  thing  combined. 

On  the  18th  of  March  I  had  issued  orders  assuming  com 
mand  of  the  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was 
seated  in  the  office,  when  the  general  came  in  and  said  they 
were  about  to  present  him  a  sword,  inviting  me  to  come  and 
see  the  ceremony.  I  went  back  into  what  was  the  dining-room 
of  the  house ;  on  the  table  lay  a  rose-wood  box,  containing  a 
sword,  sash,  spurs,  etc.,  and  round  about  the  table  were  grouped 
Mrs.  Grant,  Nelly,  and  one  or  two  of  the  boys.  I  was  intro 
duced  to  a  large,  corpulent  gentleman,  as  the  mayor,  and  an 
other  citizen,  who  had  come  down  from  Galena  to  make  this 
presentation  of  a  sword  to  their  fellow-townsman.  I  think  that 
Rawlins,  Bowers,  Badeau,  and  one  or  more  of  General  Grant's 
personal  staff,  were  present.  The  mayor  rose  and  in  the  most 
dignified  way  read  a  finished  speech  to  General  Grant,  who 
stood,  as  usual,  very  awkwardly ;  and  the  mayor  closed  his 
speech  by  handing  hini  the  resolutions  of  the  City  Council 
engrossed  on  parchment,  with  a  broad  ribbon  and  large  seal 
attached.  After  the  mayor  had  fulfilled  his  office  so  well,  Gen 
eral  Grant  said :  "  Mr.  Mayor,  as  I  knew  that  this  ceremony 
was  to  occur,  and  as  I  am  not  used  to  speaking,  I  have  written 
something  in  reply."  He  then  began  to  fumble  in  his  pockets, 
first  his  breast-coat  pocket,  then  his  pants,  vest,  etc.,  and  after 
considerable  delay  he  pulled  out  a  crumpled  piece  of  common 
yellow  cartridge-paper,  which  he  handed  to  the  mayor.  His 
whole  manner  was  awkward  in  the  extreme,  yet  perfectly  char 
acteristic,  and  in  strong  contrast  with  the  elegant  parchment  and 
speech  of  the  mayor.  "When  read,  however,  the  substance  of  his 
26 


402  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

answer  was  most  excellent,  short,  concise,  and,  if  it  had  been 
delivered  by  word  of  mouth,  would  have  been  all  that  the 
occasion  required. 

I  could  not  help  laughing  at  a  scene  so  characteristic  of  the 
man  who  then  stood  prominent  before  the  country,  and  to 
whom  all  had  turned  as  the  only  one  qualified  to  guide  the  na 
tion  in  a  war  that  had  become  painfully  critical.  With  copies 
of  the  few  letters  referred  to,  and  which  seem  necessary  to  il 
lustrate  the  subject-matter,  I  close  this  chapter. 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  TENNESSEE,         ) 
STEAMEB  DIANA  (UNDER  WEIGH),  March  4,  1864  j 

Major- General  N.  P.  BANKS,  commanding  Department  of  the  Gulf,  New 
Orleans. 

GENERAL  :  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  letter  of  the  2d  instant 
yesterday  at  New  Orleans,  but  was  unable  to  answer,  except  verbally,  and 
I  now  reduce  it  to  writing. 

I  will  arrive  at  Vicksburg  the  6th  instant,  and  I  expect  to  meet  there 
my  command  from  Canton,  out  of  which  I  will  select  two  divisions  of  about 
ten  thousand  men,  embark  them  under  a  good  commander,  and  order  him  : 

1st.  To  rendezvous  at  the  mouth  of  Red  River,  and,  in  concert  with 
Admiral  Porter  (if  he  agree),  to  strike  Harrisonburg  a  hard  blow. 

2d.  To  return  to  Red  River  and  ascend  it,  aiming  to  reach  Alexandria 
on  the  17th  of  March,  to  report  to  you. 

3d.  That,  as  this  command  is  designed  to  operate  by  water,  it  will  not 
be  encumbered  with  much  land  transportation,  say  two  wagons  to  a  regi 
ment,  but  with  an  ample  supply  of  stores,  including  mortars  and  heavy 
rifled  guns,  to  be  used  against  fortified  places. 

4th.  That  I  have  calculated,  and  so  reported  to  General  Grant,' .that  this 
detachment  of  his  forces  in  no  event  is  to  go  beyond  Shreveport,  and  that 
you  will  spare  them  the  moment  you  can,  trying  to  get  them  back  to  the 
Mississippi  River  in  thirty  days  from  the  time  they  actually  enter  Red  River. 

The  year  is  wearing  away  fast,  and  I  would  like  to  carry  to  General 
Grant  at  Huntsville,  Alabama,  every  man  of  his  military  division,  as  early 
in  April  as  possible,  for  I  am  sure  we  ought  to  move  from  the  base  of  the 
Tennessee  River  to  the  south  before  the  season  is  too  far  advanced,  say  as 
early  as  April  15th  next. 

I  feel  certain  of  your  complete  success,  provided  you  make  the  concen 
tration  in  tune,  to  assure  which  I  will  see  in  person  to  the  embarkation 
and  dispatch  of  my  quota,  and  I  will  write  to  General  Steele,  conveying  to 
him  my  personal  and  professional  opinion  that  the  present  opportunity  is 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  403 

the  most  perfect  one  that  will  ever  offer  itself  to  him  to  clean  out  his  ene 
mies  in  Arkansas. 

Wishing  you  all  honor  and  success,  I  am,  with  respect,  your  friend  and 
servant,  "W.  T.  SHEBMAX,  Major- General. 

HEADQUABTEES  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  TENNESSEE,  ) 
VICKSBCEG,  March,  6,  1864.         f 

Brigadier- General  A.  J.  SMITH,  commanding  Expedition  up  Red  River, 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi. 

GENEBAL  :  By  an  order  this  day  issued,  you  are  to  command  a  strong, 
well-appointed  detachment  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  sent  to  reenforce 
a  movement  up  Red  River,  but  more  especially  against  the  fortified  posi 
tion  at  Shreveport. 

You  will  embark  your  command  as  soon  as  possible,  little  encum 
bered  with  wagons  or  wheeled  vehicles,  but  well  supplied  with  fuel,  provi 
sions,  and  ammunition.  Take  with  you  the  twelve  mortars,  with  their 
ammunition,  and  all  the  thirty-pound  Parrotts  the  ordnance-officer  will 
supply.  Proceed  to  the  mouth  of  Red  River  and  confer  with  Admiral  Por 
ter.  Consult  with  him,  and  in  all  the  expedition  rely  on  him  implicitly,  as 
he  is  the  approved  friend  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  has  been  asso 
ciated  with  us  from  the  beginning.  I  have  undertaken  with  General  Banks 
that  you  will  be  at  Alexandria,  Louisiana,  on  or  before  the  17th  day  of 
March  ;  and  you  will,  if  time  allows,  cooperate  with  the  navy  in  destroying 
Harrisonburg,  up  Black  River ;  but  as  I  passed  Red  River  yesterday  I  saw 
Admiral  Porter,  and  he  told  me  he  had  already  sent  an  expedition  to 
Ilarrisonburg,  so  that  I  suppose  that  parfr  of  the  plan  will  be  accomplished 
before  you  reach  Red  River ;  but,  in  any  event,  be  careful  to  reach  Alex 
andria  about  the  IVth  of  March. 

General  Banks  will  start  by  land  from  Franklin,  in  the  Teche  country, 
either  the  6th  or  'Tth,  and  will  march  via  Opelousas  to  Alexandria.  You 
will  meet  him  there,  report  to  him,  and  act  under  his  orders.  My  under 
standing  with  him  is  that  his  forces  will  move  by  land,  via  Natchitoches, 
to  Shreveport,  while  the  gunboat-fleet  is  to  ascend  the  river  with  your 
transports  in  company.  Red  River  is  very  low  for  the  season,  and  I 
doubt  if  any  of  the  boats  can  pass  the  falls  or  rapids  at  Alexandria.  What 
General  Banks  proposes  to  do  in  that  event  I  do  not  know ;  but  my  own 
judgment  is  that  Shreveport  ought  not  to  be  attacked  until  the  gunboats 
can  reach  it.  Not  that  a  force  marching  by  land  cannot  do  it  alone,  but  it 
would  be  bad  economy  in  war  to  invest  the  place  with  an  army  so  far  from 
heavy  guns,  mortars,  ammunition,  and  provisions,  which  can  alone  reach 
Shreveport  by  water.  Still,  I  do  not  know  about  General  Banks's  plans 
in  that  event;  and  whatever  they  may  be,  your  duty  will  be  to  conform, 
in  the  most  hearty  manner. 


MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  [1864. 

My  understanding  with  General  Banks  is  that  he  will  not  need  the  co 
operation  of  your  force  beyond  thirty  days  from  the  date  you  reach  Ked 
Kiver.  As  soon  as  he  has  taken  Shreveport,  or  as  soon  as  he  can  spare 
you,  return  to  Vicksburg  with  all  dispatch,  gather  np  your  detachments, 
wagons,  tents,  transportation,  and  all  property  pertaining  to  so  much  of 
the  command  as  belongs  to  the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps,  and  conduct  it  to 
Memphis,  where  orders  will  await  you.  My  present  belief  is  your  divi 
sion,  entire,  will  be  needed  with  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  about  Hunts- 
ville  or  Bridgeport.  Still,  I  will  leave  orders  with  General  Hurlbut,  at 
Memphis,  for  you  on  your  return. 

,  I  believe  if  water  will  enable  the  gunboats  to  cross  the  rapids  at  Alex 
andria,  you  will  be  able  to  make  a  quick,  strong,  and  effective  blow  at  our 
enemy  in  the  West,  thus  widening  the  belt  of  our  territory,  and  making 
the  breach  between  the  Confederate  Government  and  its  outlying  trans- 
Mississippi  Department  more  perfect. 

It  is  understood  that  General  Steele  makes  a  simultaneous  move  from 
Little  Kock,  on  Shreveport  or  Natchitocb.es,  with  a  force  of  about  ten  thou 
sand  men.  Banks  will  have  seventeen  thousand,  and  you  ten  thousand. 
If  these  can  act  concentrically  and  simultaneously,  you  will  make  short 
work  of  it,  and  then  General  Banks  will  have  enough  force  to  hold  as 
much  of  the  Eed  Kiver  country  as  he  deems  wise,  leaving  you  to  bring  to 
General  Grant's  main  army  the  seven  thousand  five  hundred  men  of  the 
Sixteenth  Corps  now  with  you.  Having  faith  in  your  sound  judgment  and 
experience,  I  confide  this  important  and  delicate  command  to  you,  with 
certainty  that  you  will  harmonize  perfectly  with  Admiral  Porter  and  Gen 
eral  Banks,  with  whom  you  are  to  act,  and  thereby  insure  success. 

I  am,  with  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SUEBMAX,  Major-  General  commanding. 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  TENNESSEE,  ) 
MEMPHIS,  March,  14, 1864.  j 

Major- General  McPnEESOS",  commanding,  etc.,  Vicksburg,  Mississippi. 

DEAB  GENEBAL:  I  wrote  you  at  length  on  the  llth,  by  a  special  bearer 
of  dispatches,  and  now  make  special  orders  to  cover  the  movements  therein 
indicated.  It  was  my  purpose  to  await  your  answer,  but  I  am  summoned 
by  General  Grant  to  be  in  Nashville  on  the  17th,  and  it  will  keep  me  moving 
night  and  day  to  get  there  by  that  date.  I  must  rely  on  you,  for  you  un 
derstand  that  we  must  reenforce  the  great  army  at  the  centre  (Chattanooga) 
as  much  as  possible,  at  the  same  time  not  risking  the  safety  of  any  point  on 
the  Mississippi  which  is  fortified  and  armed  with  heavy  guns.  I  want  you 
to  push  matters  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  to  do  all  you  can  to  put  two 
handsome  divisions  of  your  own  corps  at  Cairo,  ready  to  embark  up  the 
Tennessee  Eiver  by  the  20th  or  30th  of  April  at  the  very  furthest.  I  wish 


1864.]  MERIDIAN  CAMPAIGN.  405 

it  could  be  done  quicker ;  but  the  promise  of  these  thirty-days  furloughs 
in  the  States  of  enlistment,  though  politic,  is  very  unmilitary.  It  deprive* 
us  of  our  ability  to  calculate  as  to  time ;  but  do  the  best  you  can.  Hurl- 
but  can  do  nothing  till  A.  J.  Smith  returns  from  Eed  Eiver.  I  will  then  or 
der  him  to  occupy  Grenada  temporarily,  and  to  try  and  get  those  locomo 
tives  that  we  need  here.  I  may  also  order  him  with  cavalry  and  infantry 
to  march  toward  Tuscaloosa,  at  the  same  time  that  we  move  from  the 
Tennessee  Kiver  about  Chattanooga. 

I  don't  know  as  yet  the  grand  strategy  of  the  next  campaign,  but  on  ar 
rival  at  Nashville  I  will  soon  catch  the  main  points,  and  will  advise  you  of 
them. 

Steal  a  furlough  and  run  to  Baltimore  incog. ;  but  get  back  in  time  to 
take  part  in  the  next  grand  move. 

Write  me  fully  and  frequently  of  your  progress.  I  have  ordered  the 
quartermaster  to  send  down  as  many  boats  as  he  can  get,  to  facilitate  your 
movements.  Mules,  wagons,  etc.,  can  come  up  afterward  by  transient 
boats.  I  am  truly  your  friend, 

W.  T.  SHEEMAN,  Major- General  commanding. 

[Special  Field  Order  No.  28.] 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OP  THE  TENNESSEE,  ) 
MEMPHIS,  TENX.,  March  14,  1864.  ) 

1.  Major-General  McPherson  will  organize  two  good  divisions  of  his 
corps  (Seventeenth)  of  about  five  thousand  men,  each  embracing  in  part  the 
reenlisted  veterans  of  his  corps  whose  furloughs  will  expire  in  April,  which 
he  will  command  in  person,  and  will  rendezvous  at  Cairo,  Illinois,  and  re 
port  by  telegraph  and  letter  to  the  general  commanding  at  department 
headquarters,  wherever  they  may  be.  These  divisions  will  be  provided  with 
new  arms  and  accoutrements,  and  land  transportation  (wagons  and  mules) 
out  of  the  supplies  now  at  Vicksburg,  which  will  be  conveyed  to  Cairo  by 
or  before  April  loth. 

4.  During  the  absence  of  General  McPberson  from  the  district  of 
Vicksburg,  Major-General  Hurlbut  will  exercise  command  over  all  the 
troops  in  the  Department  of  the  Tennessee  from  Cairo  to  Natchez,  inclu 
sive,  and  will  receive  special  instructions  from  department  headquarters. 

By  order  of  Major-General  "W.  T.  Sherman: 

L.  M.  DAYTON,  Aide-de-Camp. 


END   OF  VOL.    I. 


GENERAL  JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTONS  CAMPAIGNS. 


GENERAL  JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTON'S 

NARRATIVE  OF  MILITARY  OPERATIONS 

Directed  ly  Urn  during  the  late  War  between  the  States. 

This  work  is  the  first  authentic  contribution,  from  a  Southern  military 
source,  of  material  for  the  future  historian,  and  is  written  in  the  terse, 
incisive,  and  vivid  style,  for  which  its  eminent  author  is  so  justly  re 
nowned. 

The  correspondence  between  General  Johnston  and  the  late  Confeder 
ate  Government  lifts  the  curtain  on  much  that  perplexed  the  understand 
ing  of-  people  North  and  South  during  the  progress  of  this  struggle. 


Letter  from  General  Slierman. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  } 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  October  81, 1S73.          j 
Messrs.  D.  APPLETON  &  Co., 

549  Broadway,  New  York : 

DEAR  SIRS  :  I  have  your  favor  of  the  30th,  repeating  what  you  said  to  me  in  person  yesterday, 
that  you  have  for  publication  the  manuscript  of  General  Johnston's  "  Narrative  of  the  Military 
Operations  directed  by  him  during  the  late  War  between  the  States." 

Without  the  least  hesitation  I  advise  its  immediate  publication,  for  I  believe  it  will  have  a  most 
extensive  sale  at  the  North,  as  well  as  the  South,  and  even  in  Europe. 

General  Johnston  is  most  favorably  known  to  the  military  world,  and  is  regarded  by  many  as 
the  most  skillful  general  on  the  Southern  side.  He  is  also  ready  with  his  pen,  and  whatever  he 
records  will  receive  the  closest  attention  by  students  of  the  art  of  war  on  this  continent,  and  will 
enter  largely  into  the  future  Military  History  of  the  Civil  War. 

With  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHEEMAN,  General. 

From  the  N.  Y.  Times,  October  29th. 

"We  are  glad  to  learn  that  a  leading  'publisher  of  New  York  has  in  hand  and  will  soon  issue  a 
work  on  the  civil  war  of  something  more  than  ephemeral  interest  This  is  a  careful  and  deliberate 
account  from  the  pen  of  General  JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTON,  of  the  Confederate  Army,  of  the  events  which 
preceded  his  removal  from  the  command  of  the  Southern  forces  operating  against  General  Sherman 
in  Tennessee  and  Northern  Georgia.  Military  men  have  long  been  aware  of  the  decisive  effect  of 
that  removal  in  favor  of  General  Sherman  and  the  Union  cause.  It  was  the  personal  act  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  resolved  upon  and  carried  out  by  him  in  defiance  of  the  counsel  and  in  contempt  of  the 
remonstrances  of  the  ablest  soldiers  in  the  Southern  army ;  and,  as  General  Johnston  can  have  no 
motive  now  for  withholding  the  whole  truth  in  regard  to  the  matter,  the  story  he  has  to  tell  will 
have  a  real  value  for  the  political  as  well  as  for  the  military  history  of  the  great  American  conflict. 


The  book  is  printed  on  good  paper,  in  clear,  large  type,  and  illustrated 
with  maps,  portraits,  etc.,  etc.,  the  whole  making  a  volume  of  about  600 
pages. 

Price,  in  Cloth  Binding,  85.00 ;  Leather,  $6.00 ;  Half  Turkey  Morocco,  $7.50. 


NEW  YORK:  D.  APPLETON"   &   CO.,  PUBLISHERS, 

B49   &   331    BROADWAY. 


UNITED  STATES  ARMY  TACTICS. 


HEADQITAKTERS  or  THE  ARMY,         ) 
WASHINGTON,  July  17,  1873.  ) 

GENEBAL  OBDEBS  No.  6. — The  following  order,  received  from  the  War  Department,  is  pub 
lished  for  the  information  and  guidance  of  the  Army: 

WAB  DEPABTMENT,        ) 
WASHINGTON  CITY,  July  17,  1873. j 

The  revision  of  Upton's  Infantry  Tactics  by  the  author,  and  the  Tactics  for  Artillery  and  Cav 
alry  [iucluding  the  proceedings  of  the  board — Major-General  Schofield,  President — instituted  by 
General  Orders  No.  60,  Headquarters  of  the  Army,  Adjutant-General's  Office,  series  of  1869],  assimi 
lated  to  the  Tactics  for  Infantry,pursuant  to  instructions  from  the  General  of  the  Army,  by — 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Emory  Upton,  1st  Artillery,  Instructor  of  Tactics,  U.  8.  Military  Academy; 

Captain  Henry  A.  Du  Pont,  6th  Artillery,  commanding  Battery  "  F,"  5th  Artillery; 

Captain  John  E.  Tourtellotte,  7th  Cavalry,  Colonel  and  Aide-de-Camp  to  the  General; 

Captain  Alfred  E.  Bates,  2d  Cavalry,  Assistant  Instructor  of  Cavalry  Tactics,  U.  S.  Military 
Academy — 

—having  been  approved  by  the  President,  are  adopted  for  the  instruction  of  the  Army  and 
Militia  of  the  United  States. 

To  insure  uniformity,  all  exercises,  evolutions,  and  ceremonies  not  embraced  in  these  Tactics 
are  prohibited,  and  those  therein  prescribed  will  be  strictly  observed. 

WM.  W.  BELKNAP,  Secretary  of  War. 
By  command  of  General  Sherman. 

WILLIAM  D.  WHIPPLE,  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

INFANTRY  TACTICS,  Double  and  Single  Rank.  Adapted  to  American  To- 
pography  and  Improved  Fire-arms.  By  Brevet  Major-General  EMOBY  UPTON,  U.  8.  Army. 
Revised  edition,  1  vol.,  bound  in  leather,  with  clasp.  Price,  $2.00. 

CAVALRY  TACTICS,  United  States  Army,  assimilated  to  the  Tactics  of  Infantry 

and  Artillery.    1  vol.,  bound  in  leather,  with  clasp,    Price,  $2.00. 
ARTILLERY  TACTICS, 

1  vol.,  bound  in  leather,  with  clasp.    Price,  $2.00. 


A  COLLECTION  OF  TACTICAL  STUDIES, 

TBANSLATED  AND  PITT  TOGETHER  BY 

WYLLYS  LYMAN,  Brevet  Major  U.  S.  A. 

1  vol.,  ISino.     Cloth.    Price,  $1.25. 


L  INTRODUCTION. 

H.   INFANTRY  TACTICS   OF  DETAIL.     From  the  French  of  Captain  Emile 
Poirot. 

HI.  GERMAN  COMPANY  COLUMN  AND  AUTUMN  MAN(EUVRES,  1873. 
IV.  ENGLISH  FORMATIONS  FOR  ATTACK. 

"Napoleon's  maxim  was  that,  to  hold  superiority,  a  people  must  change  its  tactics  every  ten 
years.  The  following  pages  illustrate  the  force  of  this  maxim  in  the  tentative  and  progressive  char 
acter  of  the  formations  and  movements  most  employed  abroad  to-day.  In  the  words  of  the  distin 
guished  French  staff-officer,  Colonel  LewaL, '  Progress  is  life,  the  statu  quo  is  the  death  of  armies, 
and,  what  is  worse,  of  nations.  Tactics  must  change  in  form  from  age  to  age,  and  at  epochs  rela 
tively  very  near.  It  is  an  incessant  childbirth.  "\Ve  may  deplore  these  perpetual  mutations,  but 
we  cannot  escape  them ;  it  is  the  modern  law.  We  must  follow  the  movement  which  draws  us  on. 
It  would  be  better  to  place  ourselves  at  its  head  and  direct  it.  In  tactics  it  will  not  suffice  to  imitate, 
to  keep  abreast  of  others,  servilely  to  copy  institutions  or  methods ;  new  applications  must  be  sought 
without  ceasing,  and  we  must  guard  well  against  clinging  to  transient  and  variable  forms.'  The 
recent  revision  and  assimilation  of  our  own  system  for  all  arms,  lends  new  and  immediate  interest 
and  importance  to  this  comparative  analysis."— Extract  from  Preface. 

New  York:  D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

849   &  BS1   BROADWAY. 


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